Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rohnert Park, CA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Rohnert Park, CA: $2,756 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Rohnert Park, CA
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Rohnert Park, CA Living Index
147

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

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Rohnert Park, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,756

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,756 per month in Rohnert Park, CA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Rohnert Park, CA $2,756
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,915 per month in Rohnert Park, CA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Rohnert Park, CA $3,915
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,074 per month in Rohnert Park, CA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Rohnert Park, CA $5,074
Chicago, IL $5,999

Rohnert Park, CA is about 9% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Rohnert Park, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Rohnert Park, CA by 103%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.06 $25.06

$20.71 $20.71

21.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 $108

$89.2 $89.2

21.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.18 $13.18

$13.19 $13.19

-0.08%

Cappuccino

$5.64 $5.64

$5.66 $5.66

-0.35%

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

$3.03 $3.03

$2.64 $2.64

14.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.28 $2.28

23.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 $7.91

$6.87 $6.87

15.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$8.84 $8.84

11.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.25 $1.25

20.80%

White Bread (500g)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.72 $3.72

44.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.08 $6.08

$5.39 $5.39

12.80%

Eggs

$8.06 $8.06

$4.74 $4.74

70.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.41 $15.41

$13.84 $13.84

11.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.19 $13.19

$14.40 $14.40

-8.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.66 $15.66

$18.38 $18.38

-14.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$5.22 $5.22

-7.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.98 $1.98

-24.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$4.06 $4.06

20.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$4.97 $4.97

-7.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.67 $2.67

16.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.66 $2.66

11.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.24 $2.24

-17.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.13 $3.13

-36.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.65 $11.65

$13.82 $13.82

-15.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.36 $20.36

$14.88 $14.88

36.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.54 $2.54

-33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.51 $3.51

2.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.43 $2.43

-10.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 $58.1

$73.5 $73.5

-20.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.86 $6.86

$3.18 $3.18

115.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.39 $1.39

15.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.72 $25.72

$25.03 $25.03

2.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.20 $1.20

28.33%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.93%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$26.7K $26.7K

1.27%

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

$151 $151

$194 $194

-22.49%

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

$29.94 $29.94

$69.5 $69.5

-56.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 $50.3

$61.6 $61.6

-18.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.21 $41.21

$47.90 $47.90

-13.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$15.84 $15.84

$17.81 $17.81

-11.06%

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

$1,269 $1,269

$1,794 $1,794

-29.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.0K $42.0K

$31.9K $31.9K

31.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 $68.3

$67.0 $67.0

1.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.14 $25.14

$52.1 $52.1

-51.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 $78.7

$102 $102

-22.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.0 $99.0

$144 $144

-31.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,557 $1,557

$2,526 $2,526

-38.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,395 $1,395

$1,578 $1,578

-11.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,510 $2,510

$4,738 $4,738

-47.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,835 $1,835

$2,693 $2,693

-31.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,777 $2,777

$4,190 $4,190

-33.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,125 $2,125

$2,768 $2,768

-23.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.81

0.15%

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

Last update for Rohnert Park, CA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rohnert Park, CA

$1.4K 50.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 13.1% $183

Groceries & Markets

Rohnert Park, CA

$463 16.8%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 3.4% $16

Eating Out

Rohnert Park, CA

$390 14.2%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 11.6% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rohnert Park, CA

$231 8.4%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 40.9% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Rohnert Park, CA

$122 4.4%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 34.4% $42

Getting Around

Rohnert Park, CA

$82 3%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 14.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Rohnert Park, CA

$73 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 14.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,557 in Rohnert Park, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Rohnert Park, CA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $463 vs $447 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rohnert Park, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

06:04 6:04 AM

08:04 8:04 AM

2 h ahead of Rohnert Park, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,083

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Rohnert Park, CA Chicago, IL 2,990 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rohnert Park, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,756 in Rohnert Park, CA, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,134 per month in Rohnert Park, 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 Rohnert Park, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,557 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Chicago, IL – 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 $108 in Rohnert Park, CA and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,756 in Rohnert Park, CA and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Rohnert Park, CA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.