Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palm Springs, CA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Palm Springs, CA: $2,804 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Palm Springs, CA
Learn more

Palm Springs, CA Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Palm Springs, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,804

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,804 per month in Palm Springs, CA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Palm Springs, CA $2,804
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,462 per month in Palm Springs, CA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Palm Springs, CA $4,462
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $6,120 per month in Palm Springs, CA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Palm Springs, CA $6,120
Chicago, IL $5,999

Palm Springs, CA is about 8% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Palm Springs, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Palm Springs, CA by 106%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.21 $30.21

$20.71 $20.71

45.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 $73.6

$89.2 $89.2

-17.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 $9.83

$13.19 $13.19

-25.47%

Cappuccino

$5.31 $5.31

$5.66 $5.66

-6.18%

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

$2.77 $2.77

$2.64 $2.64

4.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.28 $2.28

-31.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 $4.96

$6.87 $6.87

-27.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 $5.60

$8.84 $8.84

-36.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.25 $1.25

8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.72 $3.72

7.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$5.39 $5.39

-45.08%

Eggs

$5.64 $5.64

$4.74 $4.74

18.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 $13.91

$13.84 $13.84

0.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.85 $13.85

$14.40 $14.40

-3.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.34 $12.34

$18.38 $18.38

-32.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$5.22 $5.22

-4.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.98 $1.98

8.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.06 $4.06

11.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$4.97 $4.97

1.61%

Potato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$2.67 $2.67

71.91%

Onion (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$2.66 $2.66

60.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.24 $2.24

-3.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.13 $3.13

-30.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.80 $11.80

$13.82 $13.82

-14.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.53 $13.53

$14.88 $14.88

-9.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.54 $2.54

-35.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.51 $3.51

-20.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.43 $2.43

-57.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.71 $33.71

$73.5 $73.5

-54.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 $3.47

$3.18 $3.18

9.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.39 $1.39

30.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.64 $23.64

$25.03 $25.03

-5.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.20 $1.20

14.17%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

-13.43%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.59%

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

$243 $243

$194 $194

25.08%

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

$81.6 $81.6

$69.5 $69.5

17.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.5 $66.5

$61.6 $61.6

7.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.81 $32.81

$47.90 $47.90

-31.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.68 $49.68

$27.34 $27.34

81.71%

Cinema Ticket

$12.07 $12.07

$17.81 $17.81

-32.23%

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

$556 $556

$1,794 $1,794

-69.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,546 $8,546

$31.9K $31.9K

-73.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.48 $31.48

$67.0 $67.0

-53.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.67 $34.67

$52.1 $52.1

-33.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 $72.4

$102 $102

-28.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$144 $144

-3.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 $1,961

$2,526 $2,526

-22.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 $1,378

$1,578 $1,578

-12.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,450 $3,450

$4,738 $4,738

-27.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,963 $2,963

$2,693 $2,693

10.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,132 $5,132

$4,190 $4,190

22.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,464 $3,464

$2,768 $2,768

25.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,839 $4,839

$4,931 $4,931

-1.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.81

-1.91%

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

Last update for Palm Springs, CA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Palm Springs, CA

$1.4K 49.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 14.5% $200

Groceries & Markets

Palm Springs, CA

$415 14.8%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 7.7% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palm Springs, CA

$391 14%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 16.8% $66

Eating Out

Palm Springs, CA

$388 13.8%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 11.1% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Palm Springs, CA

$125 4.4%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 31.6% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Palm Springs, CA

$57 2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 46.6% $27

Getting Around

Palm Springs, CA

$50 1.8%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 85.6% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,961 in Palm Springs, 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 $74 in Palm Springs, CA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $415 vs $447 – making Palm Springs, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Palm Springs, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

15:18 3:18 PM

17:18 5:18 PM

2 h ahead of Palm Springs, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,575

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Palm Springs, CA Chicago, IL 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Palm Springs, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,804 in Palm Springs, CA, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Palm Springs, CA comes out roughly 8% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,206 per month in Palm Springs, 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 Palm Springs, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,961 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Palm Springs, CA and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,804 in Palm Springs, CA and $3,037 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 $2,804 in Palm Springs, CA to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Palm Springs, CA is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 8% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.