Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,185 a month against $3,628 in Glendale, CA, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

177

Cost of Living Index in Glendale, CA
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Glendale, CA Living Index
153

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

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Glendale, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,628

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,628 per month in Glendale, CA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Glendale, CA $3,628
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $4,588 per month in Glendale, CA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Glendale, CA $4,588
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $5,548 per month in Glendale, CA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Glendale, CA $5,548
Chicago, IL $6,077

Glendale, CA costs about 14% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Glendale, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Glendale, CA by 169%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.16 $25.16

$21.58 $21.58

16.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.6 $76.6

$88.7 $88.7

-13.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.22 $15.22

$13.20 $13.20

15.30%

Cappuccino

$5.88 $5.88

$5.59 $5.59

5.19%

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

$3.13 $3.13

$2.63 $2.63

19.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.26 $2.26

8.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 $7.09

$7.11 $7.11

-0.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 $9.86

$9.23 $9.23

6.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.28 $1.28

10.16%

White Bread (500g)

$4.79 $4.79

$3.84 $3.84

24.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$5.07 $5.07

-7.69%

Eggs

$5.79 $5.79

$4.84 $4.84

19.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$14.17 $14.17

-20.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 $8.58

$14.61 $14.61

-41.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.38 $19.38

$18.76 $18.76

3.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$5.19 $5.19

-8.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.00 $2.00

16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.00 $4.00

1.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$4.98 $4.98

8.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.79 $2.79

21.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.65 $2.65

6.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.13 $2.13

-9.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.09 $3.09

-21.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.91 $11.91

$16.05 $16.05

-25.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 $14.91

$15.20 $15.20

-1.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.62 $2.62

-3.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.46 $3.46

-18.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.47 $2.47

-18.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.5 $91.5

$75.1 $75.1

21.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.21 $3.21

-5.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.39 $1.39

29.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.99 $31.99

$25.02 $25.02

27.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.24 $1.24

25.81%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$37.2K $37.2K

-2.15%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$25.8K $25.8K

-1.60%

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

$221 $221

$192 $192

14.99%

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

$78.0 $78.0

$67.8 $67.8

15.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.1 $74.1

$60.9 $60.9

21.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.95 $39.95

$53.6 $53.6

-25.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$20.13 $20.13

$17.80 $17.80

13.09%

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

$1,174 $1,174

$1,554 $1,554

-24.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.0K $32.0K

$31.4K $31.4K

1.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 $61.6

$67.9 $67.9

-9.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.74 $48.74

$50.8 $50.8

-3.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$101 $101

19.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 $199

$143 $143

38.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 $1,579

$2,383 $2,383

-33.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,053 $2,053

$1,712 $1,712

19.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,521 $2,521

$4,674 $4,674

-46.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 $2,129

$2,738 $2,738

-22.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,395 $2,395

$4,158 $4,158

-42.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,760 $2,760

$2,691 $2,691

2.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,110 $5,110

$4,894 $4,894

4.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

6.77

-3.55%

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

Last update for Glendale, 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

Glendale, CA

$2.1K 56.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 16.6% $341

Groceries & Markets

Glendale, CA

$421 11.6%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 7.3% $31

Eating Out

Glendale, CA

$395 10.9%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 10.7% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glendale, CA

$373 10.3%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 14% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Glendale, CA

$194 5.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 15.7% $30

Getting Around

Glendale, CA

$112 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 14.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Glendale, CA

$80 2.2%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 11.2% $9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,579 in Glendale, 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 4% higher in Glendale, 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 $77.0 in Glendale, CA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $421 vs $451 – making Glendale, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Glendale, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

09:40 9:40 AM

11:40 11:40 AM

2 h ahead of Glendale, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,831

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

From you

Glendale, CA
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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,628 in Glendale, CA, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,442 per month in Glendale, 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Glendale, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Glendale, 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 $3,628 in Glendale, 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. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,185 in Chicago, IL to $3,628 in Glendale, 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, Glendale, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.