Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rancho Cucamonga, CA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,185 a month against $3,385 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rancho Cucamonga, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

164

Cost of Living Index in Rancho Cucamonga, CA
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Rancho Cucamonga, CA Living Index
153

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

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Rancho Cucamonga, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,385

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,385 per month in Rancho Cucamonga, CA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Rancho Cucamonga, CA $3,385
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $4,782 per month in Rancho Cucamonga, CA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Rancho Cucamonga, CA $4,782
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $6,179 per month in Rancho Cucamonga, CA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Rancho Cucamonga, CA $6,179
Chicago, IL $6,077

Rancho Cucamonga, CA costs about 6% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rancho Cucamonga, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Rancho Cucamonga, CA by 151%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.89 $24.89

$21.58 $21.58

15.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 $80.9

$88.7 $88.7

-8.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.87 $15.87

$13.20 $13.20

20.23%

Cappuccino

$5.64 $5.64

$5.59 $5.59

0.89%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$2.63 $2.63

19.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.26 $2.26

3.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.54 $7.54

$7.11 $7.11

6.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$9.23 $9.23

0.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.28 $1.28

-3.91%

White Bread (500g)

$4.21 $4.21

$3.84 $3.84

9.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$5.07 $5.07

-5.33%

Eggs

$4.82 $4.82

$4.84 $4.84

-0.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$14.17 $14.17

-7.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.92 $10.92

$14.61 $14.61

-25.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.14 $15.14

$18.76 $18.76

-19.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$5.19 $5.19

-6.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.00 $2.00

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$4.00 $4.00

35.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 $5.70

$4.98 $4.98

14.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$2.79 $2.79

34.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.65 $2.65

14.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.13 $2.13

1.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.09 $3.09

-17.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.78 $11.78

$16.05 $16.05

-26.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.97 $14.97

$15.20 $15.20

-1.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.62 $2.62

-5.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.46 $3.46

18.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.47 $2.47

-20.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$75.1 $75.1

-20.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.21 $3.21

-22.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.24 $1.24

19.35%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$37.2K $37.2K

0.68%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$25.8K $25.8K

1.83%

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

$220 $220

$192 $192

14.37%

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

$72.4 $72.4

$67.8 $67.8

6.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$60.9 $60.9

19.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.28 $23.28

$53.6 $53.6

-56.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.85 $9.85

$27.90 $27.90

-64.70%

Cinema Ticket

$17.30 $17.30

$17.80 $17.80

-2.81%

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

$1,005 $1,005

$1,554 $1,554

-35.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 $58.1

$67.9 $67.9

-14.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.54 $39.54

$50.8 $50.8

-22.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$101 $101

5.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$143 $143

0.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,467 $2,467

$2,383 $2,383

3.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,914 $1,914

$1,712 $1,712

11.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 $3,828

$4,674 $4,674

-18.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,947 $2,947

$2,738 $2,738

7.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,140 $5,140

$4,894 $4,894

5.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

6.77

-6.79%

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

Last update for Rancho Cucamonga, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$1.9K 56.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 10.5% $202

Groceries & Markets

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$429 12.7%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 5.2% $22

Eating Out

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$393 11.6%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 10.1% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$365 10.8%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 12.1% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$157 4.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 4.1% $6.4

Getting Around

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$70 * 2.1%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 36.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$58 1.7%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 54.1% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,467 in Rancho Cucamonga, 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 5% higher in Rancho Cucamonga, 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 $81.0 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $429 vs $451 – making Rancho Cucamonga, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rancho Cucamonga, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

10:55 10:55 AM

12:55 12:55 PM

2 h ahead of Rancho Cucamonga, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

170,714

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rancho Cucamonga, CA Chicago, IL 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Rancho Cucamonga, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,385 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,078 per month in Rancho Cucamonga, 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 5% cheaper in Rancho Cucamonga, 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 $81.0 in Rancho Cucamonga, 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 $3,385 in Rancho Cucamonga, 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 $3,385 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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