Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Huntington Beach, CA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,072 a month against $3,747 in Huntington Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

177

Cost of Living Index in Huntington Beach, CA
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Huntington Beach, CA Living Index
146

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

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Huntington Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,747

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,747 per month in Huntington Beach, CA vs $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Huntington Beach, CA $3,747
Chicago, IL $3,072

A couple spends around $5,302 per month in Huntington Beach, CA vs $4,545 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Huntington Beach, CA $5,302
Chicago, IL $4,545

A family of three spends $6,858 per month in Huntington Beach, CA vs $6,019 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Huntington Beach, CA $6,858
Chicago, IL $6,019

Huntington Beach, CA costs about 22% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Huntington Beach, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Huntington Beach, CA by 177%, Chicago, IL by 127%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.06 $25.06

$20.39 $20.39

22.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 $81.6

$88.6 $88.6

-7.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.20 $15.20

$12.85 $12.85

18.29%

Cappuccino

$5.89 $5.89

$5.78 $5.78

1.90%

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

$3.06 $3.06

$2.74 $2.74

11.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.26 $2.26

1.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 $7.35

$6.88 $6.88

6.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.84 $7.84

$9.24 $9.24

-15.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.26 $1.26

-5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.55 $3.55

44.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$5.38 $5.38

-9.29%

Eggs

$5.07 $5.07

$4.55 $4.55

11.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 $12.46

$13.65 $13.65

-8.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.14 $19.14

$14.07 $14.07

36.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.45 $15.45

$18.06 $18.06

-14.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$5.16 $5.16

-7.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.98 $1.98

-14.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.88 $3.88

10.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$4.83 $4.83

19.25%

Potato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.81 $2.81

52.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.67 $2.67

14.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.07 $2.07

-0.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.03 $3.03

-18.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 $11.83

$13.90 $13.90

-14.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$15.05 $15.05

-1.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.63 $2.63

-25.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 $3.77

$3.45 $3.45

9.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.43 $2.43

-18.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.2 $69.2

$75.3 $75.3

-8.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.17 $3.17

13.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.70 $1.70

-1.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.89 $31.89

$24.90 $24.90

28.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.28 $1.28

17.97%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$35.8K $35.8K

-21.90%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.11%

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

$214 $214

$192 $192

11.55%

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

$60.7 $60.7

$69.6 $69.6

-12.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.4 $80.4

$62.2 $62.2

29.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 $37.03

$47.79 $47.79

-22.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$14.72 $14.72

$17.83 $17.83

-17.44%

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

$1,170 $1,170

$1,815 $1,815

-35.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K $19.8K

$40.6K $40.6K

-51.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 $65.1

$66.2 $66.2

-1.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.71 $40.71

$51.4 $51.4

-20.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$103 $103

-2.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$143 $143

-19.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,358 $2,358

$2,531 $2,531

-6.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 $2,234

$1,621 $1,621

37.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,065 $4,065

$4,828 $4,828

-15.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,534 $3,534

$2,734 $2,734

29.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.7K $11.7K

$4,163 $4,163

180.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,423 $7,423

$2,723 $2,723

172.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,600 $5,600

$4,924 $4,924

13.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.78

-3.24%

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

Last update for Huntington Beach, CA: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Huntington Beach, CA

$2.2K 59.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8% 27.4% $613

Groceries & Markets

Huntington Beach, CA

$466 12.5%

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3% 5.8% $27

Eating Out

Huntington Beach, CA

$391 10.4%

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2% 12% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Huntington Beach, CA

$355 9.5%

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5% 8.9% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Huntington Beach, CA

$145 3.9%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3% 12.8% $19

Getting Around

Huntington Beach, CA

$89 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2% 8.6% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Huntington Beach, CA

$66 1.8%

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7% 25.5% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,358 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $2,531 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 14% higher in Huntington Beach, 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 $82 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $466 in Huntington Beach, CA vs $439 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Huntington Beach, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

20:04 8:04 PM

22:04 10:04 PM

2 h ahead of Huntington Beach, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

193,366

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Huntington Beach, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,747 in Huntington Beach, CA, $3,072 in Chicago, IL – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 18% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,620 per month in Huntington Beach, CA and $4,608 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,358 in Huntington Beach, CA and $2,531 in Chicago, IL. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82 in Huntington Beach, 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 $3,747 in Huntington Beach, CA and $3,072 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 $3,072 versus $3,747 in Huntington Beach, 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, Huntington Beach, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.