Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chico, CA and Canterbury

For one person, living is cheaper in Chico, CA: $2,515 a month against $2,981 in Canterbury, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Chico, CA
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Chico, CA Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Canterbury
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Canterbury Living Index

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Chico, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,515

/mo nomad

Canterbury

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,981

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chico, CA and in Canterbury

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,515 in Chico, CA versus $2,981 in Canterbury.

Chico, CA $2,515
Canterbury $2,981

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,036 in Chico, CA versus $4,225 in Canterbury.

Chico, CA $4,036
Canterbury $4,225

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,556 in Chico, CA versus $5,469 in Canterbury.

Chico, CA $5,556
Canterbury $5,469

Living in Chico, CA costs roughly 16% less than in Canterbury, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chico, CA 86% above, Canterbury 121% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.46 $25.46

$24.01 £18.01

6.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 $50.1

$90.5 £67.9

-44.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.05 $12.05

$10.62 £7.97

13.47%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$4.63 £3.48

24.62%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.65 £1.99

-0.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.14 £1.60

6.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 $7.34

$7.25 £5.44

1.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 $8.22

$6.56 £4.92

25.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.47 £1.10

-23.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.34 £1.76

27.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.69 £1.27

107.69%

Eggs

$4.86 $4.86

$3.03 £2.27

60.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$9.21 £6.91

20.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.12 $12.12

$7.63 £5.72

58.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.12 $23.12

$27.79 £20.85

-16.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$3.02 £2.26

79.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.46 £1.09

60.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$3.01 £2.26

26.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$3.18 £2.38

77.36%

Potato (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$1.60 £1.20

213.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$1.45 £1.09

113.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.66 £1.25

48.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.77 £2.08

-7.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.01 $8.01

$23.23 £17.42

-65.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.92 $14.92

$15.67 £11.76

-4.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.67 £2.00

-34.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.89 £2.92

-6.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$4.07 £3.06

-27.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.74 $34.74

$141 £106

-75.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 $3.22

$5.04 £3.78

-36.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.60 £1.95

-7.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.65 $40.65

$21.42 £16.07

89.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.97 £1.48

-27.92%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$37.2K £27.9K

-2.37%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$41.0K £30.8K

-39.73%

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

$185 $185

$389 £292

-52.53%

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

$49.40 $49.40

$35.31 £26.49

39.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$53.8 £40.35

26.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.0 $77.0

$54.0 £40.47

42.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.96 £28.47

Cinema Ticket

$13.12 $13.12

$20.04 £15.04

-34.53%

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

$1,837 $1,837

$844 £633

117.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.1K $37.1K

$19.6K £14.7K

88.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$96.2 £72.1

-46.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.08 $31.08

$52.1 £39.05

-40.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 $70.3

$79.1 £59.3

-11.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 $98.8

$144 £108

-31.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 $1,508

$1,407 £1,056

7.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 $1,123

$1,360 £1,020

-17.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,933 $2,933

$2,381 £1,786

23.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,590 $2,590

$2,018 £1,514

28.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,210 $3,210

$5,179 £3,886

-38.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,919 $2,919

$4,404 £3,304

-33.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,832 $3,832

$3,172 £2,380

20.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.28

5.51

13.97%

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

Last update for Chico, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Canterbury: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chico, CA

$1.1K 44.6%

Canterbury

$1.4K 45.6% 21.1% $237

Groceries & Markets

Chico, CA

$430 17.1%

Canterbury

$358 12% 16.8% $72

Eating Out

Chico, CA

$382 15.2%

Canterbury

$348 11.7% 8.8% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chico, CA

$302 12%

Canterbury

$478 16% 58.4% $176

Clothing & Footwear

Chico, CA

$113 4.5%

Canterbury

$167 5.6% 47.8% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Chico, CA

$103 4.1%

Canterbury

$94 3.2% 8.9% $9.2

Getting Around

Chico, CA

$62 2.5%

Canterbury

$176 5.9% 185% $114

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Chico, CA and $1,407 in Canterbury. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chico, CA pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Chico, CA vs $91.0 in Canterbury. Groceries flip the comparison at $430 vs $358, with Canterbury cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chico, CA

🇬🇧 Canterbury

🕒 Local time

21:26 9:26 PM

05:26 5:26 AM

8 h ahead of Chico, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,316

43,400

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

GBP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chico, CA Canterbury 8,480 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chico, CA
Canterbury

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

Chico, CA vs Canterbury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chico, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Canterbury. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chico, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Chico, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,508 in Chico, CA versus $1,407 in Canterbury. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,837 in Chico, CA versus $844 in Canterbury. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Canterbury pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Chico, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Chico, CA and Canterbury are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chico, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Canterbury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.