Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Simi Valley, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,312 in Simi Valley, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Simi Valley, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Simi Valley, CA
Learn more

Simi Valley, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Simi Valley, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,312

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Simi Valley, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chicago, IL and in Simi Valley, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,312 in Simi Valley, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Simi Valley, CA $3,312

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,697 in Simi Valley, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Simi Valley, CA $4,697

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,081 in Simi Valley, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Simi Valley, CA $6,081

Chicago, IL is about 8% cheaper than Simi Valley, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Simi Valley, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Simi Valley, CA by 143%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$23.58 $23.58

-12.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$69.9 $69.9

27.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.54 $11.54

14.30%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.54 $5.54

2.17%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.95 $1.95

35.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.06 $2.06

10.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.36 $7.36

-6.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$5.91 $5.91

49.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.15 $1.15

8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.41 $2.41

54.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.42 $4.42

21.95%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.67 $4.67

1.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.67 $12.67

9.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$11.06 $11.06

30.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$14.05 $14.05

30.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.85 $3.85

35.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.77 $1.77

11.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.71 $3.71

9.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.57 $6.57

-24.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.66 $2.66

0.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.44 $3.44

-22.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.03 $2.03

10.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.24 $2.24

39.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.93 $11.93

15.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.20 $12.20

21.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.69 $1.69

50.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.18 $3.18

10.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.71 $1.71

42.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.46 $4.46

-28.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.84 $1.84

-24.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$36.13 $36.13

-30.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.32 $1.32

-9.09%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.2K $28.2K

24.38%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.01%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$194 $194

$213 $213

-8.85%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$69.5 $69.5

$62.3 $62.3

11.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$71.3 $71.3

-13.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$29.51 $29.51

62.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$11.95 $11.95

49.04%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,794 $1,794

$1,195 $1,195

50.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$42.4K $42.4K

-24.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$73.0 $73.0

-8.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$40.45 $40.45

28.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$79.6 $79.6

27.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$169 $169

-14.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,132 $2,132

18.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,000 $2,000

-21.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,376 $2,376

99.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$3,225 $3,225

-16.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$5,172 $5,172

-4.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.64

2.56%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Simi Valley, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Simi Valley, CA

$2K 60.4% 26.8% $422

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Simi Valley, CA

$374 11.3% 16.4% $73

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Simi Valley, CA

$354 10.7% 2.8% $9.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Simi Valley, CA

$347 10.5% 6.6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Simi Valley, CA

$163 4.9% 0.8% $1.3

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Simi Valley, CA

$21 * 0.6% 78% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Simi Valley, CA

$53 1.6% 36.1% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,132 in Simi Valley, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 5% higher in Simi Valley, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $70 in Simi Valley, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $374 – making Simi Valley, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Simi Valley, CA

🕒 Local time

23:35 11:35 PM

21:35 9:35 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

121,288

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Simi Valley, CA 2,840 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Simi Valley, CA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chicago, IL vs Simi Valley, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $3,312 in Simi Valley, CA – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 8% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,969 in Simi Valley, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Simi Valley, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,132 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $70 in Simi Valley, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in Simi Valley, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $3,312 in Simi Valley, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $3,312 in Simi Valley, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chicago, IL. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Simi Valley, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.