Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Oxnard, CA and in Chicago, IL: $3,186 and $3,185 a month, rent and utilities included.

156

Cost of Living Index in Oxnard, CA
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Oxnard, CA Living Index
153

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

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Oxnard, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,186

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,186 per month in Oxnard, CA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Oxnard, CA $3,186
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $4,226 per month in Oxnard, CA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Oxnard, CA $4,226
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $5,265 per month in Oxnard, CA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Oxnard, CA $5,265
Chicago, IL $6,077

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.32 $20.32

$21.58 $21.58

-5.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.1 $65.1

$88.7 $88.7

-26.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 $11.71

$13.20 $13.20

-11.29%

Cappuccino

$5.76 $5.76

$5.59 $5.59

3.04%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$2.63 $2.63

2.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.26 $2.26

-10.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$7.11 $7.11

13.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.48 $9.48

$9.23 $9.23

2.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.28 $1.28

-7.03%

White Bread (500g)

$5.71 $5.71

$3.84 $3.84

48.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$5.07 $5.07

-15.19%

Eggs

$4.98 $4.98

$4.84 $4.84

2.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.34 $12.34

$14.17 $14.17

-12.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.32 $20.32

$14.61 $14.61

39.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 $13.99

$18.76 $18.76

-25.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$5.19 $5.19

-15.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.00 $2.00

-11.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.00 $4.00

3.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$4.98 $4.98

32.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.79 $2.79

28.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.65 $2.65

-26.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.13 $2.13

12.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.09 $3.09

-29.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$16.05 $16.05

-38.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$15.20 $15.20

-2.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.62 $2.62

-32.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.46 $3.46

-6.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.47 $2.47

-40.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.21 $3.21

36.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.39 $1.39

30.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.90 $35.90

$25.02 $25.02

43.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.24 $1.24

4.03%

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

$37.6K $37.6K

$37.2K $37.2K

1.13%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.8K $25.8K

-0.53%

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

$129 $129

$192 $192

-33.02%

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

$53.2 $53.2

$67.8 $67.8

-21.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 $69.4

$60.9 $60.9

14.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 $61.6

$53.6 $53.6

14.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$11.77 $11.77

$17.80 $17.80

-33.88%

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

$1,187 $1,187

$1,554 $1,554

-23.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.6K $42.6K

$31.4K $31.4K

35.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.90 $37.90

$67.9 $67.9

-44.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.18 $41.18

$50.8 $50.8

-18.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 $59.1

$101 $101

-41.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 $81.0

$143 $143

-43.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,995 $1,995

$2,383 $2,383

-16.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 $1,922

$1,712 $1,712

12.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,359 $3,359

$4,674 $4,674

-28.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$2,738 $2,738

-10.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,838 $5,838

$4,158 $4,158

40.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,922 $5,922

$2,691 $2,691

120.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,379 $3,379

$4,894 $4,894

-30.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

6.77

-9.90%

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

Last update for Oxnard, 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

Oxnard, CA

$1.9K 60.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 10.9% $210

Groceries & Markets

Oxnard, CA

$465 14.6%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 2.9% $13

Eating Out

Oxnard, CA

$345 10.8%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 2.3% $8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oxnard, CA

$251 7.9%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 27.7% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Oxnard, CA

$99 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 65.8% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Oxnard, CA

$85 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 4.7% $4

Getting Around

Oxnard, CA

$19 * 0.6%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 391% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,995 in Oxnard, 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 45% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Oxnard, CA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $465 in Oxnard, CA vs $451 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Oxnard, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

17:03 5:03 PM

19:03 7:03 PM

2 h ahead of Oxnard, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

207,254

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

Oxnard, CA Chicago, IL 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Oxnard, 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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,780 per month in Oxnard, 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,187 per month in Oxnard, CA and $1,554 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Oxnard, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,186 in Oxnard, 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 $3,186 in Oxnard, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chicago, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Oxnard, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.