Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Truckee, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Truckee, CA: $2,629 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Truckee, CA
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Truckee, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Truckee, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,629

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Truckee, 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 Truckee, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,629 in Truckee, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Truckee, CA $2,629

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,643 in Truckee, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Truckee, CA $4,643

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,658 in Truckee, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Truckee, CA $6,658

Chicago, IL costs about 17% more than Truckee, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Truckee, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Truckee, CA by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$19.82 $19.82

2.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$88.2 $88.2

0.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$12.06 $12.06

6.55%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.01 $5.01

15.37%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$3.53 $3.53

-22.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.31 $2.31

-2.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$7.95 $7.95

-13.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$7.78 $7.78

18.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.42 $1.42

-11.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.79 $4.79

-25.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$8.44 $8.44

-36.26%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$6.15 $6.15

-26.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$26.33 $26.33

-48.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$18.18 $18.18

-22.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$23.00 $23.00

-21.48%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$6.68 $6.68

-22.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.28 $2.28

-13.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$8.52 $8.52

-54.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$6.64 $6.64

-27.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$6.65 $6.65

-57.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.68 $2.68

-0.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.44 $2.44

-15.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.20 $3.20

-5.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$9.85 $9.85

41.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.09 $15.09

-0.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.74 $1.74

51.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$4.09 $4.09

-15.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.11 $3.11

1.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.85 $1.85

-8.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$29.58 $29.58

-15.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.51 $1.51

-15.23%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.5K $27.5K

30.30%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.47%

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

$192 $192

$189 $189

1.68%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$34.49 $34.49

101.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$67.9 $67.9

-8.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$102 $102

-53.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$15.81 $15.81

12.78%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$2,528 $2,528

-28.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$41.6K $41.6K

-2.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$59.4 $59.4

11.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$47.88 $47.88

7.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$116 $116

-10.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$124 $124

15.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,612 $1,612

56.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,108 $1,108

46.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$3,108 $3,108

55.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$3,212 $3,212

-14.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$3,580 $3,580

16.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$3,577 $3,577

-23.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.52

3.99%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Truckee, CA: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Truckee, CA

$1.1K 42.1% 31.6% $513

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Truckee, CA

$594 22.6% 35.3% $155

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Truckee, CA

$334 12.7% 3% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Truckee, CA

$291 11.1% 10.1% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Truckee, CA

$156 5.9% 4.6% $7.6

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Truckee, CA

$12 * 0.5% 87.2% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Truckee, CA

$133 5.1% 59.8% $50

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,612 in Truckee, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $88 in Truckee, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $439 in Chicago, IL vs $594 in Truckee, CA – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Truckee, CA

🕒 Local time

01:17 1:17 AM

23:17 11:17 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

16,729

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Truckee, CA 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Truckee, 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 Truckee, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,629 in Truckee, CA – Truckee, CA comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,944 in Truckee, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Truckee, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,612 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Kindergarten costs $1,815 per month in Chicago, IL and $2,528 in Truckee, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,629 in Truckee, CA. That makes Truckee, CA about 14% cheaper.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,629 in Truckee, 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 $2,629 in Truckee, CA to $3,072 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.