Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Yucaipa, CA: $2,839 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Yucaipa, CA
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Yucaipa, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Yucaipa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,839 in Yucaipa, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Yucaipa, CA $2,839

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,083 in Yucaipa, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Yucaipa, CA $4,083

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,326 in Yucaipa, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Yucaipa, CA $5,326

Chicago, IL costs about 7% more than Yucaipa, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Yucaipa, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Yucaipa, CA by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.29 $20.29

2.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$60.4 $60.4

47.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$15.09 $15.09

-12.59%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.87 $5.87

-3.58%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.94 $1.94

36.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.71 $1.71

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$8.01 $8.01

-14.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.82 $9.82

-9.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.29 $1.29

-3.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.30 $4.30

-13.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.74 $4.74

13.71%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.61 $5.61

-15.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.37 $11.37

21.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$16.29 $16.29

-11.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.74 $19.74

-6.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.09 $5.09

2.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.24 $2.24

-11.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.85 $4.85

-16.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.55 $5.55

-10.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.25 $3.25

-17.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.89 $2.89

-7.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.98 $1.98

13.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.46 $2.46

27.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.65 $11.65

18.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$6.10 $6.10

143.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.98 $2.98

-14.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.70 $2.70

30.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.27 $2.27

7.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$51.8 $51.8

42.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.19 $3.19

-0.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.88 $1.88

-26.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$31.91 $31.91

-21.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.57 $1.57

-23.57%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

0.17%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.80%

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

$194 $194

$281 $281

-30.93%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$76.5 $76.5

-9.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$78.9 $78.9

-21.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$38.77 $38.77

23.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$18.20 $18.20

-2.14%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,725 $1,725

4.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$32.5K $32.5K

-1.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$50.6 $50.6

32.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$65.0 $65.0

-19.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$79.6 $79.6

27.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$213 $213

-32.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,539 $1,539

64.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,274 $1,274

23.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,560 $2,560

85.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,059 $2,059

30.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,441 $2,441

71.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,577 $2,577

7.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,013 $4,013

22.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.86

-0.73%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Yucaipa, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Yucaipa, CA

$1.3K 44.9% 19.3% $304

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Yucaipa, CA

$444 15.6% 0.9% $3.8

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Yucaipa, CA

$352 12.4% 2.2% $7.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Yucaipa, CA

$437 15.4% 34.2% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Yucaipa, CA

$184 6.5% 12% $20

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Yucaipa, CA

$73 2.6% 21.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Yucaipa, CA

$75 2.7% 10% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,539 in Yucaipa, 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 23% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $60 in Yucaipa, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $444 – making Yucaipa, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Yucaipa, CA

🕒 Local time

00:10 12:10 AM

22:10 10:10 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

50,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Yucaipa, CA 2,710 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,839 in Yucaipa, CA – Yucaipa, CA comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,258 in Yucaipa, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yucaipa, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,539 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $60 in Yucaipa, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Yucaipa, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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

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