Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Laguna Niguel, CA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,185 a month against $4,258 in Laguna Niguel, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

206

Cost of Living Index in Laguna Niguel, CA
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Laguna Niguel, CA Living Index
153

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

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Laguna Niguel, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,258

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,258 per month in Laguna Niguel, CA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Laguna Niguel, CA $4,258
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $5,464 per month in Laguna Niguel, CA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Laguna Niguel, CA $5,464
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $6,671 per month in Laguna Niguel, CA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Laguna Niguel, CA $6,671
Chicago, IL $6,077

Laguna Niguel, CA costs about 34% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Laguna Niguel, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Laguna Niguel, CA by 215%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.71 $24.71

$21.58 $21.58

14.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 $104

$88.7 $88.7

16.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 $13.65

$13.20 $13.20

3.41%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$5.59 $5.59

3.76%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$2.63 $2.63

14.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.26 $2.26

-12.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$7.11 $7.11

9.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.12 $10.12

$9.23 $9.23

9.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.28 $1.28

1.56%

White Bread (500g)

$4.67 $4.67

$3.84 $3.84

21.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$5.07 $5.07

-6.31%

Eggs

$4.95 $4.95

$4.84 $4.84

2.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.65 $12.65

$14.17 $14.17

-10.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.91 $15.91

$14.61 $14.61

8.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.72 $19.72

$18.76 $18.76

5.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$5.19 $5.19

8.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.00 $2.00

-14.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.00 $4.00

17.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 $6.61

$4.98 $4.98

32.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.79 $2.79

20.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.65 $2.65

7.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.13 $2.13

11.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.09 $3.09

-28.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.75 $11.75

$16.05 $16.05

-26.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.12 $15.12

$15.20 $15.20

-0.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.62 $2.62

-33.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.46 $3.46

-22.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 $64.1

$75.1 $75.1

-14.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.21 $3.21

-5.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.39 $1.39

30.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.31 $32.31

$25.02 $25.02

29.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.24 $1.24

24.19%

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

$37.6K $37.6K

$37.2K $37.2K

1.12%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.8K $25.8K

-0.31%

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

$279 $279

$192 $192

45.33%

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

$70.7 $70.7

$67.8 $67.8

4.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.8 $79.8

$60.9 $60.9

31.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.3 $94.3

$53.6 $53.6

76.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$16.35 $16.35

$17.80 $17.80

-8.15%

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

$1,656 $1,656

$1,554 $1,554

6.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.3K $32.3K

$31.4K $31.4K

3.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.3 $74.3

$67.9 $67.9

9.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.82 $40.82

$50.8 $50.8

-19.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$101 $101

16.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 $172

$143 $143

19.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,927 $2,927

$2,383 $2,383

22.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,593 $2,593

$1,712 $1,712

51.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,575 $4,575

$4,674 $4,674

-2.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,988 $2,988

$2,738 $2,738

9.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,014 $5,014

$4,894 $4,894

2.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.77

-1.92%

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

Last update for Laguna Niguel, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Laguna Niguel, CA

$2.6K 60.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 34% $881

Groceries & Markets

Laguna Niguel, CA

$462 10.8%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 2.2% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Laguna Niguel, CA

$430 10.1%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 25.3% $109

Eating Out

Laguna Niguel, CA

$388 9.1%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 8.9% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Laguna Niguel, CA

$182 4.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 10.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Laguna Niguel, CA

$127 3%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 29.8% $38

Getting Around

Laguna Niguel, CA

$76 * 1.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 24.9% $19

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,927 in Laguna Niguel, 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 2% higher in Laguna Niguel, 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 $104 in Laguna Niguel, CA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $462 vs $451 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Laguna Niguel, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

11:32 11:32 AM

13:32 1:32 PM

2 h ahead of Laguna Niguel, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,771

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

Laguna Niguel, CA Chicago, IL 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Laguna Niguel, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,258 in Laguna Niguel, CA, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 34% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,387 per month in Laguna Niguel, 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.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Laguna Niguel, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $104 in Laguna Niguel, 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 $4,258 in Laguna Niguel, 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. Laguna Niguel, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,185 in Chicago, IL to $4,258 in Laguna Niguel, 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, Laguna Niguel, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.