Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,316 in Davis, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Davis, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

161

Cost of Living Index in Davis, CA
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Davis, CA Living Index
147

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

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Davis, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,316

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,316 per month in Davis, CA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Davis, CA $3,316
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,712 per month in Davis, CA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Davis, CA $4,712
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $6,107 per month in Davis, CA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Davis, CA $6,107
Chicago, IL $5,999

Davis, CA costs about 9% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Davis, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Davis, CA by 144%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.69 $22.69

$20.71 $20.71

9.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$89.2 $89.2

11.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.87 $12.87

$13.19 $13.19

-2.43%

Cappuccino

$5.02 $5.02

$5.66 $5.66

-11.31%

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

$3.57 $3.57

$2.64 $2.64

35.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.28 $2.28

3.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$6.87 $6.87

17.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.15 $8.15

$8.84 $8.84

-7.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.25 $1.25

6.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.81 $3.81

$3.72 $3.72

2.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$5.39 $5.39

-22.08%

Eggs

$5.11 $5.11

$4.74 $4.74

7.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 $11.06

$13.84 $13.84

-20.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.66 $15.66

$14.40 $14.40

8.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.26 $17.26

$18.38 $18.38

-6.09%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$5.22 $5.22

-1.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.98 $1.98

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.06 $4.06

6.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$4.97 $4.97

-3.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.67 $2.67

3.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.66 $2.66

15.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.24 $2.24

1.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.13 $3.13

-29.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.67 $10.67

$13.82 $13.82

-22.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 $16.12

$14.88 $14.88

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.54 $2.54

-13.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.51 $3.51

-2.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.43 $2.43

-39.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.27 $37.27

$73.5 $73.5

-49.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.18 $3.18

6.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.39 $1.39

9.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.75 $29.75

$25.03 $25.03

18.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.20 $1.20

15.83%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.08%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

-6.08%

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

$289 $289

$194 $194

48.78%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$69.5 $69.5

-15.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.6 $77.6

$61.6 $61.6

25.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.16 $43.16

$47.90 $47.90

-9.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 $15.40

$17.81 $17.81

-13.53%

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

$1,391 $1,391

$1,794 $1,794

-22.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.7K $24.7K

$31.9K $31.9K

-22.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$67.0 $67.0

-19.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.13 $41.13

$52.1 $52.1

-21.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 $94.9

$102 $102

-6.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$144 $144

-19.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,743 $1,743

$2,526 $2,526

-31.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,836 $1,836

$1,578 $1,578

16.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,453 $3,453

$4,738 $4,738

-27.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,849 $2,849

$2,693 $2,693

5.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,834 $2,834

$4,190 $4,190

-32.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,209 $4,209

$2,768 $2,768

52.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,088 $5,088

$4,931 $4,931

3.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

6.81

-10.43%

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

Last update for Davis, CA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Davis, CA

$1.8K 55.4%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 14% $258

Groceries & Markets

Davis, CA

$429 12.9%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 4.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Davis, CA

$425 12.8%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 23.5% $100

Eating Out

Davis, CA

$361 10.9%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 4.4% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Davis, CA

$137 4.1%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 19.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Davis, CA

$74 2.2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 12.9% $9.6

Getting Around

Davis, CA

$54 1.6%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 72.3% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,743 in Davis, CA versus $2,526 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 3% higher in Davis, 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 $100 in Davis, CA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $429 in Davis, CA vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Davis, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Davis, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

12:15 12:15 PM

14:15 2:15 PM

2 h ahead of Davis, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,850

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Davis, CA Chicago, IL 2,900 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Davis, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,316 in Davis, CA, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 8% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,975 per month in Davis, CA and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Davis, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,743 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Davis, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Davis, CA and $89 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 $3,316 in Davis, CA and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chicago, IL costs $3,037 versus $3,316 in Davis, CA. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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