Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grass Valley, CA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Grass Valley, CA and in Chicago, IL: $3,126 and $3,139 a month, rent and utilities included.

152

Cost of Living Index in Grass Valley, CA
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Grass Valley, CA Living Index
152

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

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Grass Valley, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,126

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,126 per month in Grass Valley, CA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Grass Valley, CA $3,126
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,084 per month in Grass Valley, CA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Grass Valley, CA $4,084
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,042 per month in Grass Valley, CA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Grass Valley, CA $5,042
Chicago, IL $6,115

Grass Valley, CA and Chicago, IL have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Grass Valley, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Grass Valley, CA by 131%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.28 $20.28

$20.65 $20.65

-1.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.6 $91.6

$90.2 $90.2

1.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 $7.97

$12.94 $12.94

-38.41%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$5.60 $5.60

-0.89%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$2.64 $2.64

4.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.27 $2.27

-32.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.14 $8.14

$6.98 $6.98

16.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.15 $8.15

$8.83 $8.83

-7.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.27 $1.27

10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$4.99 $4.99

$3.80 $3.80

31.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$5.30 $5.30

-58.30%

Eggs

$6.15 $6.15

$4.76 $4.76

29.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.79 $21.79

$13.96 $13.96

56.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.25 $18.25

$14.61 $14.61

24.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.50 $17.50

$18.77 $18.77

-6.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$5.19 $5.19

-16.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.98 $1.98

13.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$3.93 $3.93

-44.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.88 $6.88

$4.96 $4.96

38.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.76 $2.76

-22.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.76 $2.76

11.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.22 $2.22

-9.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.98 $2.98

-0.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.93 $9.93

$14.02 $14.02

-29.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.62 $19.62

$15.28 $15.28

28.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.58 $2.58

-34.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.50 $3.50

5.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.34 $3.34

-6.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.43 $1.43

64.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.38 $39.38

$24.32 $24.32

61.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.26 $1.26

17.46%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.52%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.34%

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

$187 $187

$193 $193

-3.15%

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

$64.1 $64.1

$68.3 $68.3

-6.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 $59.4

$61.3 $61.3

-3.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.20 $49.20

$54.1 $54.1

-9.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$13.08 $13.08

$17.74 $17.74

-26.27%

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

$2,738 $2,738

$1,652 $1,652

65.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.5K $36.5K

$31.1K $31.1K

17.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.16 $35.16

$66.1 $66.1

-46.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.82 $42.82

$51.2 $51.2

-16.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 $89.7

$100 $100

-10.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$207 $207

$141 $141

46.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,894 $1,894

$2,446 $2,446

-22.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,734 $1,734

$1,678 $1,678

3.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,535 $2,535

$4,717 $4,717

-46.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,852 $1,852

$2,795 $2,795

-33.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,760 $3,760

$4,105 $4,105

-8.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,654 $3,654

$2,650 $2,650

37.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,987 $2,987

$4,866 $4,866

-38.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.81

-0.59%

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

Last update for Grass Valley, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Grass Valley, CA

$1.7K 55.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 3.2% $56

Groceries & Markets

Grass Valley, CA

$496 15.9%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 9.4% $47

Eating Out

Grass Valley, CA

$327 10.5%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 5.1% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grass Valley, CA

$310 9.9%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 3.9% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Grass Valley, CA

$168 5.4%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 4.3% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Grass Valley, CA

$75 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 18.9% $14

Getting Around

Grass Valley, CA

$15 * 0.5%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 540% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,894 in Grass Valley, CA versus $2,446 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 63% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92.0 in Grass Valley, CA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $496 vs $449 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Grass Valley, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

06:16 6:16 AM

08:16 8:16 AM

2 h ahead of Grass Valley, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,016

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Grass Valley, CA Chicago, IL 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Grass Valley, 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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,688 per month in Grass Valley, CA and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $2,738 per month in Grass Valley, CA and $1,652 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,126 in Grass Valley, CA and $3,139 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 $3,126 in Grass Valley, CA to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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