Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Redwood City, CA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,185 a month against $4,197 in Redwood City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

203

Cost of Living Index in Redwood City, CA
Learn more

Redwood City, CA Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Redwood City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,197

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,197 per month in Redwood City, CA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Redwood City, CA $4,197
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $6,241 per month in Redwood City, CA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Redwood City, CA $6,241
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $8,286 per month in Redwood City, CA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Redwood City, CA $8,286
Chicago, IL $6,077

Redwood City, CA costs about 32% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Redwood City, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Redwood City, CA by 211%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.04 $25.04

$21.58 $21.58

16.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 $110

$88.7 $88.7

23.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.44 $13.44

$13.20 $13.20

1.82%

Cappuccino

$5.64 $5.64

$5.59 $5.59

0.89%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.63 $2.63

22.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.26 $2.26

17.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.20 $8.20

$7.11 $7.11

15.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.87 $8.87

$9.23 $9.23

-3.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.28 $1.28

19.53%

White Bread (500g)

$5.37 $5.37

$3.84 $3.84

39.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$5.07 $5.07

-4.14%

Eggs

$7.74 $7.74

$4.84 $4.84

59.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.07 $15.07

$14.17 $14.17

6.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 $10.63

$14.61 $14.61

-27.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.61 $19.61

$18.76 $18.76

4.53%

Apples (1kg)

$6.25 $6.25

$5.19 $5.19

20.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.00 $2.00

42.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$4.00 $4.00

12.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$4.98 $4.98

24.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.79 $2.79

7.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.65 $2.65

37.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.13 $2.13

30.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$3.09 $3.09

-15.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.85 $11.85

$16.05 $16.05

-26.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 $20.28

$15.20 $15.20

33.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.62 $2.62

0.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.46 $3.46

-1.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.47 $2.47

93.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 $4.25

$3.21 $3.21

32.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.39 $1.39

-12.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.38 $38.38

$25.02 $25.02

53.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.24 $1.24

26.61%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$37.2K $37.2K

0.63%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$25.8K $25.8K

2.75%

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

$237 $237

$192 $192

23.34%

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

$53.7 $53.7

$67.8 $67.8

-20.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.5 $69.5

$60.9 $60.9

14.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$239 $239

$53.6 $53.6

346.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.93 $29.93

$27.90 $27.90

7.28%

Cinema Ticket

$17.91 $17.91

$17.80 $17.80

0.62%

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

$2,907 $2,907

$1,554 $1,554

87.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.0K $43.0K

$31.4K $31.4K

37.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.86 $45.86

$67.9 $67.9

-32.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.04 $25.04

$50.8 $50.8

-50.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 $98.8

$101 $101

-2.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$143 $143

-20.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,248 $4,248

$2,383 $2,383

78.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,521 $2,521

$1,712 $1,712

47.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,692 $5,692

$4,674 $4,674

21.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,469 $4,469

$2,738 $2,738

63.19%

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)

$8,008 $8,008

$4,894 $4,894

63.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.77

0.74%

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

Last update for Redwood City, 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

Redwood City, CA

$2.5K 60.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 32.1% $809

Groceries & Markets

Redwood City, CA

$493 11.8%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 8.5% $42

Eating Out

Redwood City, CA

$390 9.3%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 9.6% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Redwood City, CA

$360 8.6%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 10.9% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Redwood City, CA

$275 6.6%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 67.6% $186

Clothing & Footwear

Redwood City, CA

$128 3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 28.1% $36

Getting Around

Redwood City, CA

$29 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 223% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,248 in Redwood City, 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 64% higher in Redwood City, 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 $110 in Redwood City, CA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $493 vs $451 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Redwood City, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

22:42 10:42 PM

00:42 12:42 AM

2 h ahead of Redwood City, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

88,314

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

Redwood City, CA Chicago, IL 2,980 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Redwood City, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,197 in Redwood City, CA, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 32% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,295 per month in Redwood City, 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 $110 in Redwood City, 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 9% more in Redwood City, 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 $4,197 in Redwood City, 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 $4,197 in Redwood City, 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, Redwood City, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.