Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,943 in Fremont, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

191

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

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

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Fremont, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,943

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,943 per month in Fremont, CA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Fremont, CA $3,943
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $5,575 per month in Fremont, CA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Fremont, CA $5,575
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $7,207 per month in Fremont, CA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Fremont, CA $7,207
Chicago, IL $5,999

Fremont, CA costs about 30% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Fremont, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Fremont, CA by 190%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 $19.75

$20.71 $20.71

-4.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 $76.3

$89.2 $89.2

-14.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$13.19 $13.19

-8.26%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$5.66 $5.66

-1.24%

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

$2.64 $2.64

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.28 $2.28

3.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.98 $8.98

$6.87 $6.87

30.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.08 $10.08

$8.84 $8.84

14.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.25 $1.25

24.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.72 $3.72

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$5.39 $5.39

-22.26%

Eggs

$6.39 $6.39

$4.74 $4.74

34.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 $19.34

$13.84 $13.84

39.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.28 $14.28

$14.40 $14.40

-0.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.96 $17.96

$18.38 $18.38

-2.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.22 $5.22

-0.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.98 $1.98

-1.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$4.06 $4.06

31.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$4.97 $4.97

12.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.67 $2.67

30.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.66 $2.66

13.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.24 $2.24

8.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.13 $3.13

-21.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 $11.68

$13.82 $13.82

-15.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.34 $15.34

$14.88 $14.88

3.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.54 $2.54

-18.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.51 $3.51

-4.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.43 $2.43

21.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.7 $91.7

$73.5 $73.5

24.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.18 $3.18

12.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.39 $1.39

120.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.75 $29.75

$25.03 $25.03

18.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.20 $1.20

31.67%

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

$31.0K $31.0K

$35.0K $35.0K

-11.51%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$26.7K $26.7K

1.23%

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

$368 $368

$194 $194

89.39%

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

$42.29 $42.29

$69.5 $69.5

-39.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.9 $83.9

$61.6 $61.6

36.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.36 $36.36

$47.90 $47.90

-24.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.28 $8.28

$27.34 $27.34

-69.71%

Cinema Ticket

$16.54 $16.54

$17.81 $17.81

-7.13%

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

$1,838 $1,838

$1,794 $1,794

2.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$31.9K $31.9K

26.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 $59.4

$67.0 $67.0

-11.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 $50.5

$52.1 $52.1

-3.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 $91.5

$102 $102

-9.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$144 $144

-17.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,004 $3,004

$2,526 $2,526

18.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,291 $2,291

$1,578 $1,578

45.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,727 $4,727

$4,738 $4,738

-0.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,780 $3,780

$2,693 $2,693

40.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K $10.5K

$4,190 $4,190

151.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,279 $7,279

$2,768 $2,768

162.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,829 $7,829

$4,931 $4,931

58.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.81

-4.41%

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

Last update for Fremont, 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

Fremont, CA

$2.3K 58.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 31.1% $713

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fremont, CA

$494 12.5%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 34.2% $169

Groceries & Markets

Fremont, CA

$475 12%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 5.8% $27

Eating Out

Fremont, CA

$346 8.8%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 0.4% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Fremont, CA

$144 3.7%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 13.7% $20

Getting Around

Fremont, CA

$122 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 23.7% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Fremont, CA

$69 1.8%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 20.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,004 in Fremont, 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 59% higher in Fremont, CA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Fremont, CA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $475 in Fremont, CA vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fremont, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

15:06 3:06 PM

17:06 5:06 PM

2 h ahead of Fremont, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

241,110

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Fremont, CA Chicago, IL 2,960 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Fremont, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,943 in Fremont, CA, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,914 per month in Fremont, 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 Chicago, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,526 there versus $3,004 in Fremont, CA.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Fremont, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Fremont, 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 $3,943 in Fremont, 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 $3,943 in Fremont, 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, Fremont, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.