Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paso Robles, CA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Paso Robles, CA: $2,747 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Paso Robles, CA
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Paso Robles, CA Living Index
147

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

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Paso Robles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,747

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,747 per month in Paso Robles, CA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Paso Robles, CA $2,747
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,325 per month in Paso Robles, CA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Paso Robles, CA $4,325
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,904 per month in Paso Robles, CA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Paso Robles, CA $5,904
Chicago, IL $5,999

Paso Robles, CA is about 10% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Paso Robles, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Paso Robles, CA by 102%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.77 $24.77

$20.71 $20.71

19.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$89.2 $89.2

11.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 $11.36

$13.19 $13.19

-13.87%

Cappuccino

$5.21 $5.21

$5.66 $5.66

-7.95%

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

$2.50 $2.50

$2.64 $2.64

-5.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.28 $2.28

-35.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.80 $7.80

$6.87 $6.87

13.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.95 $5.95

$8.84 $8.84

-32.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.25 $1.25

29.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 $2.18

$3.72 $3.72

-41.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$5.39 $5.39

-36.18%

Eggs

$3.20 $3.20

$4.74 $4.74

-32.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.28 $15.28

$13.84 $13.84

10.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$14.40 $14.40

-61.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$18.38 $18.38

-51.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$5.22 $5.22

-35.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.98 $1.98

-45.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$4.06 $4.06

-44.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$4.97 $4.97

-37.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.67 $2.67

-45.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.66 $2.66

-36.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.24 $2.24

6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$3.13 $3.13

-52.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.88 $11.88

$13.82 $13.82

-14.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.46 $14.46

$14.88 $14.88

-2.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.54 $2.54

-14.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$3.51 $3.51

-3.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.44 $5.44

$2.43 $2.43

123.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 $68.8

$73.5 $73.5

-6.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.79 $5.79

$3.18 $3.18

82.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.39 $1.39

68.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.2 $50.2

$25.03 $25.03

100.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.20 $1.20

9.17%

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

$31.4K $31.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-10.45%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

0.15%

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

$360 $360

$194 $194

85.25%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$69.5 $69.5

-16.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.8 $63.8

$61.6 $61.6

3.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.94 $40.94

$47.90 $47.90

-14.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.18 $10.18

$27.34 $27.34

-62.77%

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 $11.78

$17.81 $17.81

-33.86%

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

$2,496 $2,496

$1,794 $1,794

39.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.0K $30.0K

$31.9K $31.9K

-6.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.88 $49.88

$67.0 $67.0

-25.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.72 $34.72

$52.1 $52.1

-33.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 $81.9

$102 $102

-19.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$144 $144

-21.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 $2,148

$2,526 $2,526

-14.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 $1,312

$1,578 $1,578

-16.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,468 $3,468

$4,738 $4,738

-26.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,827 $2,827

$2,693 $2,693

4.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,301 $6,301

$4,190 $4,190

50.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,465 $6,465

$2,768 $2,768

133.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,035 $3,035

$4,931 $4,931

-38.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.47

6.81

-4.99%

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

Last update for Paso Robles, CA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Paso Robles, CA

$1.3K 47.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 20.3% $266

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paso Robles, CA

$482 17.5%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 32.5% $156

Eating Out

Paso Robles, CA

$361 13.2%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 4.6% $17

Groceries & Markets

Paso Robles, CA

$294 10.7%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 52.2% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Paso Robles, CA

$125 4.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 30.8% $39

Getting Around

Paso Robles, CA

$108 3.9%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 13.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Paso Robles, CA

$64 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 29.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,148 in Paso Robles, 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.

Salaries run about 62% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Paso Robles, CA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $294 in Paso Robles, CA vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Paso Robles, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Paso Robles, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

14:25 2:25 PM

16:25 4:25 PM

2 h ahead of Paso Robles, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,793

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Paso Robles, CA Chicago, IL 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Paso Robles, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,747 in Paso Robles, CA, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Paso Robles, CA comes out roughly 10% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,121 per month in Paso Robles, 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 Paso Robles, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,148 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 52% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Paso Robles, CA and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,747 in Paso Robles, CA to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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