Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Mesa, CA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,185 a month against $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Costa Mesa, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

192

Cost of Living Index in Costa Mesa, CA
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Costa Mesa, CA Living Index
153

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

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Costa Mesa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,959

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Costa Mesa, CA and in Chicago, IL

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

A single person spends $3,959 per month in Costa Mesa, CA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Costa Mesa, CA $3,959
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $5,540 per month in Costa Mesa, CA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Costa Mesa, CA $5,540
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $7,121 per month in Costa Mesa, CA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Costa Mesa, CA $7,121
Chicago, IL $6,077

Costa Mesa, CA costs about 24% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Costa Mesa, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Costa Mesa, CA by 193%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.85 $19.85

$21.58 $21.58

-8.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 $78.6

$88.7 $88.7

-11.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.90 $14.90

$13.20 $13.20

12.88%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

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

$3.40 $3.40

$2.63 $2.63

29.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.26 $2.26

10.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.32 $7.32

$7.11 $7.11

2.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.73 $9.73

$9.23 $9.23

5.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.28 $1.28

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.84 $3.84

4.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.07 $5.07

-7.50%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$4.84 $4.84

5.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 $12.82

$14.17 $14.17

-9.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.19 $20.19

$14.61 $14.61

38.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.58 $21.58

$18.76 $18.76

15.03%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$5.19 $5.19

-3.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.00 $2.00

24.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$4.00 $4.00

13.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.98 $4.98

16.47%

Potato (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$2.79 $2.79

62.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.65 $2.65

-12.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.13 $2.13

1.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$3.09 $3.09

-38.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.60 $11.60

$16.05 $16.05

-27.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 $15.06

$15.20 $15.20

-0.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.62 $2.62

-23.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 $4.18

$3.46 $3.46

20.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.47 $2.47

-21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.9 $69.9

$75.1 $75.1

-6.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 $6.10

$3.21 $3.21

90.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.24 $1.24

18.55%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

0.07%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.8K $25.8K

-0.98%

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

$218 $218

$192 $192

13.17%

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

$68.5 $68.5

$67.8 $67.8

1.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 $71.5

$60.9 $60.9

17.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.81 $39.81

$53.6 $53.6

-25.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.21 $12.21

$27.90 $27.90

-56.24%

Cinema Ticket

$16.67 $16.67

$17.80 $17.80

-6.35%

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

$1,196 $1,196

$1,554 $1,554

-23.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 $57.1

$67.9 $67.9

-15.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.38 $47.38

$50.8 $50.8

-6.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$101 $101

-8.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$143 $143

-10.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,726 $2,726

$2,383 $2,383

14.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,467 $2,467

$1,712 $1,712

44.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,187 $4,187

$4,674 $4,674

-10.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,833 $3,833

$2,738 $2,738

39.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,284 $9,284

$4,158 $4,158

123.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,077 $7,077

$2,691 $2,691

163.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$4,894 $4,894

28.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.77

-5.61%

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

Last update for Costa Mesa, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Mesa, CA

$2.5K 62.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 30.6% $755

Groceries & Markets

Costa Mesa, CA

$480 12.1%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 6% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Mesa, CA

$358 9%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 10.2% $37

Eating Out

Costa Mesa, CA

$350 8.9%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 0.8% $2.7

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Mesa, CA

$147 3.7%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 11.5% $17

Getting Around

Costa Mesa, CA

$84 * 2.1%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 13.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Mesa, CA

$73 1.9%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 21.9% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,726 in Costa Mesa, CA versus $2,383 in Chicago, IL. 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 28% higher in Costa Mesa, 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 $79.0 in Costa Mesa, CA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $480 in Costa Mesa, CA vs $451 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Costa Mesa, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

16:06 4:06 PM

18:06 6:06 PM

2 h ahead of Costa Mesa, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

109,960

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Costa Mesa, CA Chicago, IL 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Costa Mesa, CA
Chicago, IL

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

Costa Mesa, CA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,938 per month in Costa Mesa, CA and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chicago, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Costa Mesa, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Costa Mesa, CA and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA and $3,185 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Costa Mesa, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,185 in Chicago, IL to $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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