Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ukiah, CA: $2,585 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Ukiah, CA
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Ukiah, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Ukiah, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,585 in Ukiah, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Ukiah, CA $2,585

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,836 in Ukiah, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Ukiah, CA $3,836

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,087 in Ukiah, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Ukiah, CA $5,087

Chicago, IL costs about 19% more than Ukiah, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Ukiah, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Ukiah, CA by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$20.90 $20.90

-2.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$55.6 $55.6

59.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$11.27 $11.27

14.02%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.53 $5.53

4.52%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$3.02 $3.02

-9.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.43 $2.43

-7.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$5.11 $5.11

34.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$5.86 $5.86

57.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.18 $1.18

6.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.20 $4.20

-15.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$5.03 $5.03

6.96%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$6.27 $6.27

-27.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$12.06 $12.06

13.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$7.91 $7.91

77.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$18.30 $18.30

-1.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.42 $4.42

16.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.23 $2.23

-11.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$8.59 $8.59

-54.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$7.18 $7.18

-32.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$6.78 $6.78

-58.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.75 $2.75

-2.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.45 $2.45

-15.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.34 $3.34

-9.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$11.82 $11.82

17.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$19.77 $19.77

-23.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.76 $1.76

49.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.98 $3.98

-13.32%

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

$3.14 $3.14

0.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.83 $1.83

-7.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$29.25 $29.25

-14.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.47 $1.47

-12.93%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$28.0K $28.0K

27.74%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

2.49%

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

$192 $192

$186 $186

3.06%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$65.2 $65.2

6.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$67.3 $67.3

-7.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$106 $106

-55.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$12.21 $12.21

46.03%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,475 $1,475

23.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$42.8K $42.8K

-5.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$36.77 $36.77

79.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$14.88 $14.88

245.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$83.8 $83.8

23.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$142 $142

0.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,491 $1,491

69.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,203 $1,203

34.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,289 $2,289

110.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,132 $2,132

28.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$4,117 $4,117

1.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$4,110 $4,110

-33.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.77

0.15%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Ukiah, CA: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Ukiah, CA

$1.2K 46.6% 25.8% $418

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Ukiah, CA

$468 18.1% 6.5% $28

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Ukiah, CA

$326 12.6% 5.1% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Ukiah, CA

$319 12.3% 1.5% $4.9

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Ukiah, CA

$125 4.8% 23.5% $39

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Ukiah, CA

$12 * 0.5% 87.3% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Ukiah, CA

$131 5.1% 56.9% $47

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 $1,491 in Ukiah, 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 $56 in Ukiah, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $439 in Chicago, IL vs $468 in Ukiah, CA – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Ukiah, CA

🕒 Local time

11:45 11:45 AM

09:45 9:45 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

16,036

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Ukiah, CA 3,000 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,585 in Ukiah, CA – Ukiah, CA comes out roughly 16% 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 $3,877 in Ukiah, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ukiah, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,491 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $56 in Ukiah, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Ukiah, CA, where all-in costs run around $2,585, than in Chicago, IL at $3,072. In Ukiah, CA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ukiah, CA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.