Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,185 a month against $5,162 in Newport Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $23,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Newport Beach, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

251

Cost of Living Index in Newport Beach, CA
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Newport Beach, CA Living Index
153

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

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Newport Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$5,162

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $5,162 per month in Newport Beach, CA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Newport Beach, CA $5,162
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $7,336 per month in Newport Beach, CA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Newport Beach, CA $7,336
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in Newport Beach, CA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Newport Beach, CA $9,509
Chicago, IL $6,077

Newport Beach, CA costs about 62% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Newport Beach, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Newport Beach, CA by 282%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.34 $25.34

$21.58 $21.58

17.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$88.7 $88.7

14.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.86 $14.86

$13.20 $13.20

12.58%

Cappuccino

$5.79 $5.79

$5.59 $5.59

3.58%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$2.63 $2.63

15.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.26 $2.26

8.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.06 $7.06

$7.11 $7.11

-0.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.44 $9.44

$9.23 $9.23

2.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.28 $1.28

-4.69%

White Bread (500g)

$5.74 $5.74

$3.84 $3.84

49.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$5.07 $5.07

-16.77%

Eggs

$5.27 $5.27

$4.84 $4.84

8.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 $12.68

$14.17 $14.17

-10.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 $9.04

$14.61 $14.61

-38.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$18.76 $18.76

-24.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$5.19 $5.19

-7.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.00 $2.00

-14.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$4.00 $4.00

2.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.98 $4.98

9.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.79 $2.79

30.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.65 $2.65

15.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.13 $2.13

0.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$3.09 $3.09

-26.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.59 $11.59

$16.05 $16.05

-27.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.11 $15.11

$15.20 $15.20

-0.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.62 $2.62

-32.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.46 $3.46

-10.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.21 $3.21

42.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.39 $1.39

33.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.59 $36.59

$25.02 $25.02

46.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.24 $1.24

18.55%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

-0.06%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.8K $25.8K

1.10%

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

$216 $216

$192 $192

12.41%

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

$80.0 $80.0

$67.8 $67.8

17.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 $71.3

$60.9 $60.9

17.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$53.6 $53.6

117.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.65 $27.65

$27.90 $27.90

-0.90%

Cinema Ticket

$20.16 $20.16

$17.80 $17.80

13.26%

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

$1,756 $1,756

$1,554 $1,554

12.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K $36.2K

$31.4K $31.4K

15.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 $62.7

$67.9 $67.9

-7.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.05 $41.05

$50.8 $50.8

-19.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 $78.4

$101 $101

-22.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$143 $143

-28.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,355 $4,355

$2,383 $2,383

82.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,694 $3,694

$1,712 $1,712

115.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,177 $7,177

$4,674 $4,674

53.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,170 $6,170

$2,738 $2,738

125.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.0K $16.0K

$4,158 $4,158

285.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.0K $16.0K

$2,691 $2,691

493.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,204 $6,204

$4,894 $4,894

26.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.77

-4.73%

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

Last update for Newport Beach, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Newport Beach, CA

$3.7K 71.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 53.7% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Newport Beach, CA

$409 7.9%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 10.3% $42

Eating Out

Newport Beach, CA

$393 7.6%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 10.2% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newport Beach, CA

$367 7.1%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 12.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Newport Beach, CA

$157 3%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 43.1% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Newport Beach, CA

$128 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 27.7% $36

Getting Around

Newport Beach, CA

$14 * 0.3%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 590% $81

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,355 in Newport Beach, 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 27% higher in Newport 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 $101 in Newport Beach, CA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $409 in Newport Beach, CA vs $451 in Chicago, IL – so Newport Beach, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Newport Beach, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

22:29 10:29 PM

00:29 12:29 AM

2 h ahead of Newport Beach, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,186

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

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

From you

Newport Beach, CA
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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $5,162 in Newport Beach, CA, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 62% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,743 per month in Newport Beach, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Newport Beach, CA and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Newport Beach, CA – 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 $5,162 in Newport Beach, 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. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,185 in Chicago, IL to $5,162 in Newport Beach, 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, Newport Beach, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.