Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,395 in Fontana, CA, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Fontana, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

164

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

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

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Fontana, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,395

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,395 per month in Fontana, CA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Fontana, CA $3,395
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $5,018 per month in Fontana, CA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Fontana, CA $5,018
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $6,640 per month in Fontana, CA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Fontana, CA $6,640
Chicago, IL $5,999

Fontana, CA costs about 12% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Fontana, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Fontana, CA by 149%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.08 $20.08

$20.71 $20.71

-3.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$89.2 $89.2

-11.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.72 $14.72

$13.19 $13.19

11.60%

Cappuccino

$5.73 $5.73

$5.66 $5.66

1.24%

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

$3.40 $3.40

$2.64 $2.64

28.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.28 $2.28

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.28 $7.28

$6.87 $6.87

5.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.61 $9.61

$8.84 $8.84

8.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.25 $1.25

-16.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$3.72 $3.72

11.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$5.39 $5.39

-12.43%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.74 $4.74

6.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 $13.11

$13.84 $13.84

-5.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 $8.87

$14.40 $14.40

-38.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.70 $15.70

$18.38 $18.38

-14.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.22 $5.22

-9.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.98 $1.98

9.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$4.06 $4.06

-3.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.97 $4.97

9.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$2.67 $2.67

40.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.66 $2.66

-16.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.24 $2.24

-10.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$3.13 $3.13

-38.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.72 $11.72

$13.82 $13.82

-15.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 $15.27

$14.88 $14.88

2.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.54 $2.54

-20.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.51 $3.51

15.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.43 $45.43

$73.5 $73.5

-38.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 $6.12

$3.18 $3.18

92.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.20 $1.20

27.50%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.27%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.51%

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

$221 $221

$194 $194

13.86%

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

$79.0 $79.0

$69.5 $69.5

13.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 $60.0

$61.6 $61.6

-2.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 $15.18

$17.81 $17.81

-14.77%

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

$1,195 $1,195

$1,794 $1,794

-33.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 $57.0

$67.0 $67.0

-14.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.72 $40.72

$52.1 $52.1

-21.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$102 $102

-8.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$144 $144

-28.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 $1,970

$2,526 $2,526

-22.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,071 $2,071

$1,578 $1,578

31.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,187 $3,187

$4,738 $4,738

-32.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,737 $3,737

$2,693 $2,693

38.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,906 $4,906

$4,931 $4,931

-0.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

6.81

-7.34%

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

Last update for Fontana, CA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fontana, CA

$2.1K 61%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 23.8% $493

Groceries & Markets

Fontana, CA

$397 11.7%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 12.8% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fontana, CA

$360 10.6%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 9.7% $35

Eating Out

Fontana, CA

$353 10.4%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 2.2% $7.8

Clothing & Footwear

Fontana, CA

$132 3.9%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 24% $32

Getting Around

Fontana, CA

$52 * 1.5%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 81.1% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Fontana, CA

$30 * 0.9%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 175% $53

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,970 in Fontana, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Fontana, CA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $447 – making Fontana, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fontana, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

07:58 7:58 AM

09:58 9:58 AM

2 h ahead of Fontana, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

210,000

2,746,388

💱 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

Fontana, CA Chicago, IL 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Fontana, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,395 in Fontana, CA, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 11% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,093 per month in Fontana, 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 Fontana, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,970 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Fontana, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Fontana, 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 $3,395 in Fontana, CA and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $3,395 in Fontana, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.