Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Bernardino, CA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in San Bernardino, CA: $2,856 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in San Bernardino, CA
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San Bernardino, CA Living Index
153

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

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San Bernardino, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,856

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,856 per month in San Bernardino, CA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

San Bernardino, CA $2,856
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $4,354 per month in San Bernardino, CA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

San Bernardino, CA $4,354
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $5,853 per month in San Bernardino, CA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

San Bernardino, CA $5,853
Chicago, IL $6,077

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

Both San Bernardino, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – San Bernardino, CA by 112%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.02 $20.02

$21.58 $21.58

-7.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.5 $76.5

$88.7 $88.7

-13.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.54 $16.54

$13.20 $13.20

25.30%

Cappuccino

$5.87 $5.87

$5.59 $5.59

5.01%

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

$3.54 $3.54

$2.63 $2.63

34.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.26 $2.26

3.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.30 $7.30

$7.11 $7.11

2.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.38 $9.38

$9.23 $9.23

1.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.28 $1.28

-14.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.84 $3.84

2.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.07 $5.07

-7.50%

Eggs

$4.70 $4.70

$4.84 $4.84

-2.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 $12.99

$14.17 $14.17

-8.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 $8.68

$14.61 $14.61

-40.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.33 $15.33

$18.76 $18.76

-18.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$5.19 $5.19

-10.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.00 $2.00

-10.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$4.00 $4.00

1.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$4.98 $4.98

13.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.79 $2.79

29.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.65 $2.65

-16.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.13 $2.13

-6.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$3.09 $3.09

-39.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.74 $11.74

$16.05 $16.05

-26.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 $14.74

$15.20 $15.20

-3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.62 $2.62

-19.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 $4.31

$3.46 $3.46

24.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.47 $2.47

-16.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 $59.5

$75.1 $75.1

-20.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.83 $9.83

$3.21 $3.21

206.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.24 $1.24

18.55%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$37.2K $37.2K

-1.88%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.8K $25.8K

-0.51%

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

$216 $216

$192 $192

12.16%

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

$66.6 $66.6

$67.8 $67.8

-1.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.4 $73.4

$60.9 $60.9

20.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.64 $39.64

$53.6 $53.6

-26.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$15.33 $15.33

$17.80 $17.80

-13.88%

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

$1,143 $1,143

$1,554 $1,554

-26.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K $17.4K

$31.4K $31.4K

-44.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.8 $62.8

$67.9 $67.9

-7.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.37 $47.37

$50.8 $50.8

-6.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$101 $101

3.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$143 $143

1.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 $1,775

$2,383 $2,383

-25.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 $1,442

$1,712 $1,712

-15.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$4,674 $4,674

-46.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,783 $2,783

$2,738 $2,738

1.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,608 $3,608

$4,158 $4,158

-13.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,635 $3,635

$2,691 $2,691

35.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,468 $3,468

$4,894 $4,894

-29.14%

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 San Bernardino, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Bernardino, CA

$1.4K 50.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 18.7% $270

Groceries & Markets

San Bernardino, CA

$389 13.6%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 16% $62

Eating Out

San Bernardino, CA

$359 12.6%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 1.7% $6.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Bernardino, CA

$356 12.5%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 9.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

San Bernardino, CA

$162 5.7%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 0.7% $1.1

Getting Around

San Bernardino, CA

$78 * 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 22.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

San Bernardino, CA

$70 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 26.9% $19

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,775 in San Bernardino, 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 41% higher in Chicago, IL, 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 $76.0 in San Bernardino, CA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $451 – making San Bernardino, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Bernardino, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

10:58 10:58 AM

12:58 12:58 PM

2 h ahead of San Bernardino, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

220,000

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

San Bernardino, CA Chicago, IL 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

San Bernardino, 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

San Bernardino, CA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,856 in San Bernardino, CA, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,284 per month in San Bernardino, 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 San Bernardino, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in San Bernardino, 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 $2,856 in San Bernardino, 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 $2,856 in San Bernardino, CA to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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