Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Redondo Beach, CA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,185 a month against $3,926 in Redondo Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Redondo Beach, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

192

Cost of Living Index in Redondo Beach, CA
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Redondo Beach, CA Living Index
153

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

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Redondo Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,926

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,926 per month in Redondo Beach, CA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Redondo Beach, CA $3,926
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $5,700 per month in Redondo Beach, CA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Redondo Beach, CA $5,700
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $7,475 per month in Redondo Beach, CA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Redondo Beach, CA $7,475
Chicago, IL $6,077

Redondo Beach, CA costs about 23% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Redondo Beach, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Redondo Beach, CA by 191%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.16 $25.16

$21.58 $21.58

16.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 $79.6

$88.7 $88.7

-10.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.84 $14.84

$13.20 $13.20

12.42%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.59 $5.59

0.72%

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

$3.55 $3.55

$2.63 $2.63

34.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.26 $2.26

9.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 $7.60

$7.11 $7.11

6.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.74 $9.74

$9.23 $9.23

5.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.28 $1.28

-14.06%

White Bread (500g)

$4.49 $4.49

$3.84 $3.84

16.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$5.07 $5.07

-3.16%

Eggs

$5.79 $5.79

$4.84 $4.84

19.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.48 $15.48

$14.17 $14.17

9.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.00 $15.00

$14.61 $14.61

2.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$18.76 $18.76

0.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$5.19 $5.19

-5.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.00 $2.00

-7.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$4.00 $4.00

35.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$4.98 $4.98

18.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$2.79 $2.79

30.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.65 $2.65

-5.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.13 $2.13

-1.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.09 $3.09

-11.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.58 $11.58

$16.05 $16.05

-27.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 $15.16

$15.20 $15.20

-0.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.62 $2.62

-8.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.46 $3.46

17.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.47 $2.47

-58.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.30 $6.30

$3.21 $3.21

96.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.24 $1.24

21.77%

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

$37.5K $37.5K

$37.2K $37.2K

0.98%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.8K $25.8K

1.21%

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

$197 $197

$192 $192

2.39%

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

$66.9 $66.9

$67.8 $67.8

-1.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 $58.5

$60.9 $60.9

-3.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 $96.5

$53.6 $53.6

80.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$15.05 $15.05

$17.80 $17.80

-15.45%

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

$1,160 $1,160

$1,554 $1,554

-25.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 $58.3

$67.9 $67.9

-14.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.49 $40.49

$50.8 $50.8

-20.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$101 $101

4.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$143 $143

-27.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 $3,126

$2,383 $2,383

31.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,462 $2,462

$1,712 $1,712

43.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,935 $4,935

$4,674 $4,674

5.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,224 $4,224

$2,738 $2,738

54.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,450 $7,450

$4,158 $4,158

79.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,382 $6,382

$2,691 $2,691

137.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,833 $7,833

$4,894 $4,894

60.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.77

-5.61%

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

Last update for Redondo Beach, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Redondo Beach, CA

$2.5K 62.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 30.5% $750

Groceries & Markets

Redondo Beach, CA

$471 12%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 4.1% $19

Eating Out

Redondo Beach, CA

$395 10.1%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 10.6% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Redondo Beach, CA

$322 8.2%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 0.4% $1.2

Clothing & Footwear

Redondo Beach, CA

$139 3.5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 17.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Redondo Beach, CA

$127 3.2%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 29.6% $37

Getting Around

Redondo Beach, CA

$10 * 0.3%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 815% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,126 in Redondo Beach, 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 60% higher in Redondo Beach, 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 $80.0 in Redondo Beach, CA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $471 in Redondo Beach, CA vs $451 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Redondo Beach, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

18:03 6:03 PM

20:03 8:03 PM

2 h ahead of Redondo Beach, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,346

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

Redondo Beach, CA Chicago, IL 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Redondo Beach, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,926 in Redondo Beach, CA, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,889 per month in Redondo Beach, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Redondo Beach, CA and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Redondo Beach, 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 $3,926 in Redondo Beach, 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 $3,926 in Redondo Beach, 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, Redondo Beach, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.