Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,185 a month against $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

214

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

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

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Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,430

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,430 per month in Santa Monica, CA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Santa Monica, CA $4,430
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $6,581 per month in Santa Monica, CA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Santa Monica, CA $6,581
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $8,732 per month in Santa Monica, CA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Santa Monica, CA $8,732
Chicago, IL $6,077

Santa Monica, CA costs about 39% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Santa Monica, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Santa Monica, CA by 228%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.77 $26.77

$21.58 $21.58

24.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$88.7 $88.7

33.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.20 $13.20

12.73%

Cappuccino

$5.93 $5.93

$5.59 $5.59

6.08%

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

$3.26 $3.26

$2.63 $2.63

23.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.26 $2.26

6.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.11 $7.11

14.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.95 $9.95

$9.23 $9.23

7.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.28 $1.28

4.69%

White Bread (500g)

$4.57 $4.57

$3.84 $3.84

19.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$5.07 $5.07

-8.28%

Eggs

$5.73 $5.73

$4.84 $4.84

18.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.77 $15.77

$14.17 $14.17

11.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.21 $14.21

$14.61 $14.61

-2.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.80 $19.80

$18.76 $18.76

5.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$5.19 $5.19

-8.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.00 $2.00

14.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$4.00 $4.00

-1.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.98 $4.98

9.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.79 $2.79

18.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.65 $2.65

6.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.13 $2.13

0.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.09 $3.09

-19.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$16.05 $16.05

-27.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$15.20 $15.20

0.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.62 $2.62

-7.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.46 $3.46

-11.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.47 $2.47

2.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 $67.0

$75.1 $75.1

-10.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.21 $3.21

-1.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.39 $1.39

36.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.68 $32.68

$25.02 $25.02

30.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.24 $1.24

16.94%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$37.2K $37.2K

-1.03%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.8K $25.8K

-0.99%

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

$218 $218

$192 $192

13.27%

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

$46.37 $46.37

$67.8 $67.8

-31.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.1 $65.1

$60.9 $60.9

6.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 $70.7

$53.6 $53.6

31.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.11 $44.11

$27.90 $27.90

58.10%

Cinema Ticket

$19.36 $19.36

$17.80 $17.80

8.76%

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

$1,694 $1,694

$1,554 $1,554

9.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.5K $32.5K

$31.4K $31.4K

3.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.9 $88.9

$67.9 $67.9

31.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 $54.8

$50.8 $50.8

7.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$101 $101

2.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$143 $143

-15.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,328 $3,328

$2,383 $2,383

39.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,860 $2,860

$1,712 $1,712

67.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,804 $5,804

$4,674 $4,674

24.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,048 $5,048

$2,738 $2,738

84.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$4,158 $4,158

161.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,924 $7,924

$2,691 $2,691

194.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,900 $6,900

$4,894 $4,894

40.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.77

-2.22%

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

Last update for Santa Monica, 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 Monica, CA

$2.9K 64.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 40.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Monica, CA

$462 10.4%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 2.3% $10

Eating Out

Santa Monica, CA

$413 9.3%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 14.6% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Monica, CA

$329 7.4%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 2.5% $8.3

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Monica, CA

$166 3.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 1.6% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Monica, CA

$109 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 18.5% $20

Getting Around

Santa Monica, CA

$90 2%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 5.9% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,328 in Santa Monica, 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 Santa Monica, 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 $118 in Santa Monica, CA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $462 vs $451 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

11:43 11:43 AM

13:43 1:43 PM

2 h ahead of Santa Monica, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,736

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Santa Monica, CA Chicago, IL 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Monica, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,645 per month in Santa Monica, 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 2% more in Santa Monica, 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 $118 in Santa Monica, 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 $4,430 in Santa Monica, 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. Santa Monica, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,185 in Chicago, IL to $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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