Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Oroville, CA: $2,470 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Oroville, CA
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Oroville, CA Living Index
147

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

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Oroville, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,470

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,470 per month in Oroville, CA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Oroville, CA $2,470
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,958 per month in Oroville, CA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Oroville, CA $3,958
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,446 per month in Oroville, CA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Oroville, CA $5,446
Chicago, IL $5,999

Oroville, CA is about 19% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Oroville, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Oroville, CA by 82%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.14 $20.14

$20.71 $20.71

-2.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 $79.3

$89.2 $89.2

-11.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.25 $13.25

$13.19 $13.19

0.45%

Cappuccino

$5.62 $5.62

$5.66 $5.66

-0.71%

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

$2.51 $2.51

$2.64 $2.64

-4.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.28 $2.28

-10.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.33 $7.33

$6.87 $6.87

6.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.70 $7.70

$8.84 $8.84

-12.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.25 $1.25

-10.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.72 $3.72

-12.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$5.39 $5.39

-24.30%

Eggs

$5.40 $5.40

$4.74 $4.74

13.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.57 $11.57

$13.84 $13.84

-16.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.29 $16.29

$14.40 $14.40

13.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.43 $23.43

$18.38 $18.38

27.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$5.22 $5.22

-18.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.98 $1.98

-25.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$4.06 $4.06

-26.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.97 $4.97

35.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.67 $2.67

11.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$2.66 $2.66

43.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.24 $2.24

21.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$3.13 $3.13

-31.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.25 $10.25

$13.82 $13.82

-25.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.74 $12.74

$14.88 $14.88

-14.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.54 $2.54

-20.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 $3.67

$3.51 $3.51

4.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.43 $2.43

-16.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.2 $57.2

$73.5 $73.5

-22.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.18 $3.18

22.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.39 $1.39

78.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.57 $32.57

$25.03 $25.03

30.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.20 $1.20

11.67%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$35.0K $35.0K

-20.35%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

2.37%

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

$179 $179

$194 $194

-8.13%

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

$97.4 $97.4

$69.5 $69.5

40.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.60 $30.60

$61.6 $61.6

-50.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.05 $40.05

$47.90 $47.90

-16.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$11.97 $11.97

$17.81 $17.81

-32.79%

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

$1,313 $1,313

$1,794 $1,794

-26.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K $27.8K

$31.9K $31.9K

-12.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 $53.2

$67.0 $67.0

-20.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 $33.40

$52.1 $52.1

-35.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 $74.0

$102 $102

-27.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

0.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,562 $1,562

$2,526 $2,526

-38.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 $1,102

$1,578 $1,578

-30.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,510 $2,510

$4,738 $4,738

-47.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,340 $2,340

$2,693 $2,693

-13.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,598 $2,598

$4,190 $4,190

-38.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 $2,264

$2,768 $2,768

-18.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.81

0.15%

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

Last update for Oroville, CA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oroville, CA

$1.1K 44.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 43.2% $476

Groceries & Markets

Oroville, CA

$440 17.8%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 1.7% $7.4

Eating Out

Oroville, CA

$339 13.7%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 1.9% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oroville, CA

$307 12.4%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 6.2% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Oroville, CA

$137 5.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 19.6% $27

Getting Around

Oroville, CA

$82 3.3%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 14.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Oroville, CA

$64 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 30.5% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,562 in Oroville, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Oroville, CA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $440 vs $447 – making Oroville, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Oroville, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

10:44 10:44 AM

12:44 12:44 PM

2 h ahead of Oroville, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,505

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Oroville, CA Chicago, IL 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Oroville, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,470 in Oroville, CA, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,705 per month in Oroville, CA and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oroville, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,562 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Oroville, CA and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Oroville, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Families tend to lean toward Oroville, CA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.