Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterey Park, CA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterey Park, CA: $2,869 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

139

Cost of Living Index in Monterey Park, CA
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Monterey Park, CA Living Index
152

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

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Monterey Park, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,869

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,869 per month in Monterey Park, CA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Monterey Park, CA $2,869
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,188 per month in Monterey Park, CA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Monterey Park, CA $4,188
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,507 per month in Monterey Park, CA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Monterey Park, CA $5,507
Chicago, IL $6,115

Monterey Park, CA is about 9% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Monterey Park, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Monterey Park, CA by 112%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.99 $25.99

$20.65 $20.65

25.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.3 $80.3

$90.2 $90.2

-11.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.96 $14.96

$12.94 $12.94

15.61%

Cappuccino

$6.09 $6.09

$5.60 $5.60

8.75%

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

$3.06 $3.06

$2.64 $2.64

15.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.27 $2.27

17.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.98 $6.98

12.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.94 $9.94

$8.83 $8.83

12.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.27 $1.27

5.51%

White Bread (500g)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.80 $3.80

28.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$5.30 $5.30

-10.94%

Eggs

$5.60 $5.60

$4.76 $4.76

17.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 $11.41

$13.96 $13.96

-18.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 $8.91

$14.61 $14.61

-39.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.39 $19.39

$18.77 $18.77

3.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$5.19 $5.19

-11.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.98 $1.98

12.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.93 $3.93

3.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$4.96 $4.96

13.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.76 $2.76

19.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.76 $2.76

4.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.22 $2.22

-9.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.98 $2.98

-18.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.80 $11.80

$14.02 $14.02

-15.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$15.28 $15.28

-3.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.58 $2.58

-6.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$3.50 $3.50

-22.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.47 $2.47

-9.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.34 $3.34

-9.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.43 $1.43

31.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.72 $32.72

$24.32 $24.32

34.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.26 $1.26

18.25%

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

$29.4K $29.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-16.01%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.19%

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

$269 $269

$193 $193

39.68%

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

$87.3 $87.3

$68.3 $68.3

27.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.1 $80.1

$61.3 $61.3

30.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.12 $42.12

$54.1 $54.1

-22.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$18.11 $18.11

$17.74 $17.74

2.09%

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

$1,202 $1,202

$1,652 $1,652

-27.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K $32.4K

$31.1K $31.1K

4.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.8 $63.8

$66.1 $66.1

-3.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$51.2 $51.2

5.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$100 $100

19.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$214 $214

$141 $141

51.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 $1,602

$2,446 $2,446

-34.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 $1,300

$1,678 $1,678

-22.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,556 $2,556

$4,717 $4,717

-45.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,133 $2,133

$2,795 $2,795

-23.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,371 $2,371

$4,105 $4,105

-42.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,221 $2,221

$2,650 $2,650

-16.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 $1,585

$4,866 $4,866

-67.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

6.81

-7.34%

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

Last update for Monterey Park, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterey Park, CA

$1.3K 45.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 29.1% $378

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterey Park, CA

$437 15.2%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 26.2% $114

Groceries & Markets

Monterey Park, CA

$421 14.7%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 6.7% $28

Eating Out

Monterey Park, CA

$408 14.2%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 15.8% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Monterey Park, CA

$203 7.1%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 20.7% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Monterey Park, CA

$78 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 14.4% $11

Getting Around

Monterey Park, CA

$21 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 345% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,602 in Monterey Park, 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 207% higher in Chicago, IL, 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 $80.0 in Monterey Park, CA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $421 vs $449 – making Monterey Park, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monterey Park, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

06:39 6:39 AM

2 h ahead of Monterey Park, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,269

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

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

From you

Monterey Park, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,869 in Monterey Park, CA, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,303 per month in Monterey Park, 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 Monterey Park, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Monterey Park, CA and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,869 in Monterey Park, 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 $2,869 in Monterey Park, CA to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. 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 Monterey Park, 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.