Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,185 a month against $4,276 in Pasadena, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Pasadena, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

207

Cost of Living Index in Pasadena, CA
Learn more

Pasadena, CA Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Pasadena, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,276

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,276 per month in Pasadena, CA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Pasadena, CA $4,276
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $6,133 per month in Pasadena, CA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Pasadena, CA $6,133
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $7,990 per month in Pasadena, CA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Pasadena, CA $7,990
Chicago, IL $6,077

Pasadena, CA costs about 34% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Pasadena, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Pasadena, CA by 217%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 $17.89

$21.58 $21.58

-17.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 $76.4

$88.7 $88.7

-13.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$13.20 $13.20

-23.41%

Cappuccino

$4.61 $4.61

$5.59 $5.59

-17.53%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$2.63 $2.63

7.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.26 $2.26

-29.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 $4.95

$7.11 $7.11

-30.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 $5.71

$9.23 $9.23

-38.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.28 $1.28

8.59%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.84 $3.84

4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$5.07 $5.07

-42.21%

Eggs

$5.22 $5.22

$4.84 $4.84

7.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 $13.74

$14.17 $14.17

-3.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$14.61 $14.61

-4.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.58 $12.58

$18.76 $18.76

-32.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$5.19 $5.19

-11.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.00 $2.00

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$4.00 $4.00

13.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.13 $6.13

$4.98 $4.98

23.09%

Potato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$2.79 $2.79

66.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.65 $2.65

-9.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.13 $2.13

-12.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.09 $3.09

-28.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.64 $11.64

$16.05 $16.05

-27.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 $10.96

$15.20 $15.20

-27.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.62 $2.62

-39.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$3.46 $3.46

-45.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.47 $2.47

-29.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 $103

$75.1 $75.1

36.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.21 $3.21

10.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.39 $1.39

35.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.02 $24.02

$25.02 $25.02

-4.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.24 $1.24

27.42%

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

$33.4K $33.4K

$37.2K $37.2K

-10.18%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$25.8K $25.8K

-1.15%

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

$248 $248

$192 $192

29.17%

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

$59.1 $59.1

$67.8 $67.8

-12.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.4 $64.4

$60.9 $60.9

5.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.90 $34.90

$53.6 $53.6

-34.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.33 $35.33

$27.90 $27.90

26.63%

Cinema Ticket

$12.21 $12.21

$17.80 $17.80

-31.40%

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

$3,835 $3,835

$1,554 $1,554

146.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K $15.2K

$31.4K $31.4K

-51.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.04 $31.04

$67.9 $67.9

-54.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.98 $33.98

$50.8 $50.8

-33.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 $71.2

$101 $101

-29.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$143 $143

-1.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,169 $3,169

$2,383 $2,383

32.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,907 $2,907

$1,712 $1,712

69.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,545 $5,545

$4,674 $4,674

18.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,978 $4,978

$2,738 $2,738

81.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,747 $8,747

$4,158 $4,158

110.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,647 $8,647

$2,691 $2,691

221.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,199 $5,199

$4,894 $4,894

6.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

6.77

-6.50%

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

Last update for Pasadena, 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

Pasadena, CA

$2.9K 68%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 41.1% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Pasadena, CA

$407 9.5%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 10.9% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pasadena, CA

$372 8.7%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 13.7% $51

Eating Out

Pasadena, CA

$282 6.6%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 24.9% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Pasadena, CA

$125 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 30.8% $38

Getting Around

Pasadena, CA

$123 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 22.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Pasadena, CA

$59 1.4%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 50.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,169 in Pasadena, 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 6% higher in Pasadena, 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 $76.0 in Pasadena, CA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $407 vs $451 – making Pasadena, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Pasadena, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

02:29 2:29 AM

04:29 4:29 AM

2 h ahead of Pasadena, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

137,122

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pasadena, CA Chicago, IL 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Pasadena, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,276 in Pasadena, CA, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 34% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,414 per month in Pasadena, 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Pasadena, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Pasadena, CA and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,276 in Pasadena, 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 $4,276 in Pasadena, 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, Pasadena, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.