Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz, CA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,185 a month against $4,325 in Santa Cruz, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz, CA
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Santa Cruz, CA Living Index
153

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

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Santa Cruz, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,325

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,325 per month in Santa Cruz, CA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Santa Cruz, CA $4,325
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $6,239 per month in Santa Cruz, CA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Santa Cruz, CA $6,239
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $8,152 per month in Santa Cruz, CA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Santa Cruz, CA $8,152
Chicago, IL $6,077

Santa Cruz, CA costs about 36% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Santa Cruz, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Santa Cruz, CA by 220%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.97 $24.97

$21.58 $21.58

15.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$88.7 $88.7

13.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.15 $15.15

$13.20 $13.20

14.77%

Cappuccino

$5.71 $5.71

$5.59 $5.59

2.15%

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

$3.42 $3.42

$2.63 $2.63

30.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.26 $2.26

1.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.84 $7.84

$7.11 $7.11

10.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.11 $8.11

$9.23 $9.23

-12.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.28 $1.28

8.59%

White Bread (500g)

$4.73 $4.73

$3.84 $3.84

23.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.80 $7.80

$5.07 $5.07

53.85%

Eggs

$6.16 $6.16

$4.84 $4.84

27.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.59 $26.59

$14.17 $14.17

87.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.85 $16.85

$14.61 $14.61

15.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.71 $17.71

$18.76 $18.76

-5.60%

Apples (1kg)

$7.96 $7.96

$5.19 $5.19

53.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.00 $2.00

15.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.36 $8.36

$4.00 $4.00

109.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.73 $6.73

$4.98 $4.98

35.14%

Potato (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.79 $2.79

56.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.65 $2.65

12.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.13 $2.13

133.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.09 $3.09

-3.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.72 $11.72

$16.05 $16.05

-26.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.52 $24.52

$15.20 $15.20

61.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.62 $2.62

-17.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 $3.24

$3.46 $3.46

-6.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.47 $2.47

-19.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 $64.4

$75.1 $75.1

-14.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.21 $3.21

-1.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.39 $1.39

74.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.55 $40.55

$25.02 $25.02

62.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.24 $1.24

24.19%

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

$37.5K $37.5K

$37.2K $37.2K

0.97%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

-0.18%

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

$377 $377

$192 $192

95.97%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$67.8 $67.8

-13.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.0 $67.0

$60.9 $60.9

10.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.3 $79.3

$53.6 $53.6

47.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.55 $12.55

$27.90 $27.90

-55.02%

Cinema Ticket

$15.76 $15.76

$17.80 $17.80

-11.46%

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

$2,455 $2,455

$1,554 $1,554

57.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.4K $29.4K

$31.4K $31.4K

-6.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 $66.9

$67.9 $67.9

-1.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.92 $48.92

$50.8 $50.8

-3.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 $90.7

$101 $101

-10.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 $160

$143 $143

11.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,054 $3,054

$2,383 $2,383

28.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,471 $2,471

$1,712 $1,712

44.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,807 $4,807

$4,674 $4,674

2.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,164 $4,164

$2,738 $2,738

52.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,919 $7,919

$4,158 $4,158

90.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K $11.3K

$2,691 $2,691

318.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,511 $5,511

$4,894 $4,894

12.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.47

6.77

-4.43%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz, CA

$2.5K 57.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 30.7% $759

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz, CA

$596 13.8%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 24.3% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz, CA

$503 11.6%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 36.2% $182

Eating Out

Santa Cruz, CA

$392 9.1%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 10% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz, CA

$165 3.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 0.8% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz, CA

$111 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 19.5% $22

Getting Around

Santa Cruz, CA

$88 2%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 8.5% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,054 in Santa Cruz, 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 13% higher in Santa Cruz, 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 $100 in Santa Cruz, CA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $596 vs $451 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Cruz, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

14:26 2:26 PM

16:26 4:26 PM

2 h ahead of Santa Cruz, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,220

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

Santa Cruz, CA Chicago, IL 2,980 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Santa Cruz, 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

Santa Cruz, CA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,325 in Santa Cruz, CA, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 36% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,488 per month in Santa Cruz, 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.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Santa Cruz, CA, 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 $100 in Santa Cruz, 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 $4,325 in Santa Cruz, 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 $4,325 in Santa Cruz, 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, Santa Cruz, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.