Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Maria, CA: $2,899 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

142

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

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

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Santa Maria, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,899

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,899 per month in Santa Maria, CA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Santa Maria, CA $2,899
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $4,163 per month in Santa Maria, CA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Santa Maria, CA $4,163
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $5,427 per month in Santa Maria, CA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Santa Maria, CA $5,427
Chicago, IL $6,077

Santa Maria, CA is about 9% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Santa Maria, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Santa Maria, CA by 115%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.21 $13.21

$21.58 $21.58

-38.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.6 $59.6

$88.7 $88.7

-32.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 $9.84

$13.20 $13.20

-25.45%

Cappuccino

$6.07 $6.07

$5.59 $5.59

8.59%

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

$3.44 $3.44

$2.63 $2.63

30.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.26 $2.26

-13.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.52 $7.52

$7.11 $7.11

5.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.38 $9.38

$9.23 $9.23

1.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.28 $1.28

-17.19%

White Bread (500g)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.84 $3.84

7.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.85 $4.85

$5.07 $5.07

-4.34%

Eggs

$4.79 $4.79

$4.84 $4.84

-1.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.83 $8.83

$14.17 $14.17

-37.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.52 $7.52

$14.61 $14.61

-48.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.55 $13.55

$18.76 $18.76

-27.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$5.19 $5.19

-74.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.00 $2.00

-28.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$4.00 $4.00

-36.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$4.98 $4.98

-34.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.79 $2.79

-31.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.65 $2.65

-59.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.13 $2.13

-7.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$3.09 $3.09

-40.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.50 $11.50

$16.05 $16.05

-28.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.15 $15.15

$15.20 $15.20

-0.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.62 $2.62

-25.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 $4.29

$3.46 $3.46

23.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.47 $2.47

-17.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.55 $49.55

$75.1 $75.1

-34.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 $6.20

$3.21 $3.21

93.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.24 $1.24

4.84%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$37.2K $37.2K

-1.41%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$25.8K $25.8K

4.14%

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

$162 $162

$192 $192

-15.81%

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

$68.5 $68.5

$67.8 $67.8

0.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 $60.4

$60.9 $60.9

-0.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.38 $29.38

$53.6 $53.6

-45.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 $14.90

$17.80 $17.80

-16.29%

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

$1,888 $1,888

$1,554 $1,554

21.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.77 $46.77

$67.9 $67.9

-31.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.74 $39.74

$50.8 $50.8

-21.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 $93.7

$101 $101

-7.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$143 $143

-12.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,199 $2,199

$2,383 $2,383

-7.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 $1,738

$1,712 $1,712

1.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,497 $3,497

$4,674 $4,674

-25.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,928 $2,928

$2,738 $2,738

6.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,572 $8,572

$4,158 $4,158

106.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,442 $8,442

$2,691 $2,691

213.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,231 $4,231

$4,894 $4,894

-13.54%

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 Santa Maria, 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

Santa Maria, CA

$1.7K 60%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 1.5% $26

Groceries & Markets

Santa Maria, CA

$323 11.2%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 39.5% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Maria, CA

$291 10%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 10.4% $30

Eating Out

Santa Maria, CA

$286 9.9%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 23.4% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Maria, CA

$137 4.7%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 19.2% $26

Getting Around

Santa Maria, CA

$64 * 2.2%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 48.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Maria, CA

$59 2%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 50.7% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,199 in Santa Maria, 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 16% 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 $60.0 in Santa Maria, CA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $451 – making Santa Maria, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Maria, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

22:01 10:01 PM

00:01 12:01 AM

2 h ahead of Santa Maria, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,408

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 Maria, CA Chicago, IL 2,940 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,899 in Santa Maria, CA, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,348 per month in Santa Maria, 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 Santa Maria, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% 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 $60.0 in Santa Maria, CA and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,899 in Santa Maria, 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 $2,899 in Santa Maria, CA to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Maria, 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.