Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,473 in San Clemente, CA, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

167

Cost of Living Index in San Clemente, CA
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San Clemente, CA Living Index
147

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

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San Clemente, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,473

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,473 per month in San Clemente, CA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

San Clemente, CA $3,473
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $5,398 per month in San Clemente, CA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

San Clemente, CA $5,398
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $7,322 per month in San Clemente, CA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

San Clemente, CA $7,322
Chicago, IL $5,999

San Clemente, CA costs about 14% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Clemente, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – San Clemente, CA by 155%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.92 $27.92

$20.71 $20.71

34.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.7 $99.7

$89.2 $89.2

11.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.52 $12.52

$13.19 $13.19

-5.08%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$5.66 $5.66

1.94%

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

$3.11 $3.11

$2.64 $2.64

17.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.28 $2.28

15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.87 $6.87

14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.58 $9.58

$8.84 $8.84

8.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.25 $1.25

-10.40%

White Bread (500g)

$4.50 $4.50

$3.72 $3.72

20.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$5.39 $5.39

-8.91%

Eggs

$3.95 $3.95

$4.74 $4.74

-16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 $16.52

$13.84 $13.84

19.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.13 $14.13

$14.40 $14.40

-1.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.60 $18.60

$18.38 $18.38

1.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$5.22 $5.22

-9.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.98 $1.98

-8.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.06 $4.06

16.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$4.97 $4.97

-3.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.67 $2.67

31.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.66 $2.66

3.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.24 $2.24

-6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$3.13 $3.13

-32.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.28 $7.28

$13.82 $13.82

-47.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 $15.81

$14.88 $14.88

6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.54 $2.54

-9.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.51 $3.51

-8.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.43 $2.43

10.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.43 $47.43

$73.5 $73.5

-35.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.18 $3.18

-6.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.39 $1.39

50.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.90 $27.90

$25.03 $25.03

11.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.20 $1.20

3.33%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.64%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.28%

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

$249 $249

$194 $194

27.93%

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

$71.4 $71.4

$69.5 $69.5

2.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.6 $83.6

$61.6 $61.6

35.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.63 $44.63

$47.90 $47.90

-6.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.68 $17.68

$27.34 $27.34

-35.33%

Cinema Ticket

$14.99 $14.99

$17.81 $17.81

-15.83%

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

$980 $980

$1,794 $1,794

-45.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.0K $37.0K

$31.9K $31.9K

15.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.0 $64.0

$67.0 $67.0

-4.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.64 $29.64

$52.1 $52.1

-43.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 $91.1

$102 $102

-10.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

0.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,344 $2,344

$2,526 $2,526

-7.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,919 $1,919

$1,578 $1,578

21.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,063 $4,063

$4,738 $4,738

-14.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,848 $3,848

$2,693 $2,693

42.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,526 $6,526

$4,190 $4,190

55.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,281 $3,281

$2,768 $2,768

18.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,035 $4,035

$4,931 $4,931

-18.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

6.81

-9.10%

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

Last update for San Clemente, CA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Clemente, CA

$1.9K 55.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 17.8% $341

Groceries & Markets

San Clemente, CA

$444 12.8%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 0.7% $3

Eating Out

San Clemente, CA

$412 11.9%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 16.2% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Clemente, CA

$404 11.6%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 19.4% $78

Clothing & Footwear

San Clemente, CA

$148 4.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 10.8% $16

Sport & Entertainment

San Clemente, CA

$75 2.2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 12% $8.9

Getting Around

San Clemente, CA

$72 2.1%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 30.4% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,344 in San Clemente, 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.

Salaries run about 22% higher in Chicago, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in San Clemente, CA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $444 in San Clemente, CA vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so San Clemente, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Clemente, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

15:14 3:14 PM

17:14 5:14 PM

2 h ahead of San Clemente, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,526

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

San Clemente, CA Chicago, IL 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,473 in San Clemente, CA, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,209 per month in San Clemente, CA and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,344 in San Clemente, CA and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in San Clemente, CA and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 35% less in San Clemente, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,473 in San Clemente, CA and $3,037 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 $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $3,473 in San Clemente, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.