Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Lompoc, CA and in Chicago, IL: $2,984 and $3,037 a month, rent and utilities included.

Lompoc, CA, United States
Chicago, IL, United States
Lompoc, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,984
/mo nomad
Chicago, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$3,037
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Lompoc, CA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

  • Lompoc, CA $2,984
  • Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,212 per month in Lompoc, CA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

  • Lompoc, CA $4,212
  • Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,439 per month in Lompoc, CA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

  • Lompoc, CA $5,439
  • Chicago, IL $5,999

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

Both Lompoc, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Lompoc, CA by 119%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lompoc, CA
Chicago, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.59 $24.59
$20.71 $20.71
18.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$101 $101
$89.2 $89.2
13.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 $11.27
$13.19 $13.19
-14.56%
Cappuccino
$5.83 $5.83
$5.66 $5.66
3.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 $2.83
$2.64 $2.64
7.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 $2.03
$2.28 $2.28
-10.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.91 $7.91
$6.87 $6.87
15.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.51 $9.51
$8.84 $8.84
7.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lompoc, CA
Chicago, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.25 $1.25
-20.80%
White Bread (500g)
$2.83 $2.83
$3.72 $3.72
-23.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.37 $4.37
$5.39 $5.39
-18.92%
Eggs
$4.05 $4.05
$4.74 $4.74
-14.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.57 $12.57
$13.84 $13.84
-9.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$20.62 $20.62
$14.40 $14.40
43.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.82 $13.82
$18.38 $18.38
-24.81%
Apples (1kg)
$5.58 $5.58
$5.22 $5.22
6.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.79 $1.79
$1.98 $1.98
-9.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.24 $4.24
$4.06 $4.06
4.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.47 $6.47
$4.97 $4.97
30.18%
Potato (1kg)
$3.60 $3.60
$2.67 $2.67
34.83%
Onion (1kg)
$3.54 $3.54
$2.66 $2.66
33.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 $0.99
$2.24 $2.24
-55.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.19 $2.19
$3.13 $3.13
-30.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.60 $11.60
$13.82 $13.82
-16.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.91 $14.91
$14.88 $14.88
0.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 $1.68
$2.54 $2.54
-33.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 $3.26
$3.51 $3.51
-7.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Lompoc, CA
Chicago, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.43 $2.43
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$73.5 $73.5
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 $4.46
$3.18 $3.18
40.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.84 $1.84
$1.39 $1.39
32.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.64 $35.64
$25.03 $25.03
42.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 $1.32
$1.20 $1.20
10.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K $27.2K
$35.0K $35.0K
-22.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K $26.0K
$26.7K $26.7K
-2.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lompoc, CA
Chicago, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$216 $216
$194 $194
10.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$70.6 $70.6
$69.5 $69.5
1.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.4 $70.4
$61.6 $61.6
14.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lompoc, CA
Chicago, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.35 $25.35
$47.90 $47.90
-47.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$27.34 $27.34
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.02 $12.02
$17.81 $17.81
-32.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lompoc, CA
Chicago, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,873 $1,873
$1,794 $1,794
4.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$42.0K $42.0K
$31.9K $31.9K
31.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lompoc, CA
Chicago, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$74.5 $74.5
$67.0 $67.0
11.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.99 $40.99
$52.1 $52.1
-21.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.4 $80.4
$102 $102
-20.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$172 $172
$144 $144
19.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lompoc, CA
Chicago, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,857 $1,857
$2,526 $2,526
-26.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,586 $1,586
$1,578 $1,578
0.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,041 $3,041
$4,738 $4,738
-35.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,236 $2,236
$2,693 $2,693
-16.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,190 $4,190
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,768 $2,768
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lompoc, CA
Chicago, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$7,913 $7,913
$4,931 $4,931
60.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.2
6.81
-8.96%

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

Last update for Lompoc, CA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lompoc, CA
$1.6K
Chicago, IL
$1.6K 0.5% $7.9
Groceries & Markets
Lompoc, CA
$435
Chicago, IL
$447 2.9% $12
Eating Out
Lompoc, CA
$378
Chicago, IL
$345 8.9% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lompoc, CA
$357
Chicago, IL
$326 8.8% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Lompoc, CA
$165
Chicago, IL
$164 0.8% $1.4
Sport & Entertainment
Lompoc, CA
$49
Chicago, IL
$84 69.1% $34
Getting Around
Lompoc, CA
$14 *
Chicago, IL
$93 582% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,857 in Lompoc, 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 60% higher in Lompoc, CA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Lompoc, CA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $435 in Lompoc, CA vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Lompoc, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Lompoc, CA
🇺🇸 Chicago, IL
🕒 Local time
20:40 8:40 PM
22:40 10:40 PM
2 h ahead of Lompoc, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
43,509
2,746,388
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lompoc, CA Chicago, IL 2,960 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lompoc, 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
Lompoc, CA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What salary covers living expenses in Lompoc, CA compared to Chicago, IL?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,477 per month in Lompoc, CA and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Lompoc, CA and Chicago, IL?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lompoc, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,857 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lompoc, CA and Chicago, IL?
Kindergarten costs $1,873 per month in Lompoc, CA and $1,794 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 3% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How does quality of life compare between Lompoc, CA and Chicago, IL?
It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,984 in Lompoc, CA to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Lompoc, CA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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