Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Simi Valley, CA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Simi Valley, CA and in Chicago, IL: $3,291 and $3,185 a month, rent and utilities included.

162

Cost of Living Index in Simi Valley, CA
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Simi Valley, CA Living Index
153

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

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Simi Valley, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,291

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,291 per month in Simi Valley, CA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Simi Valley, CA $3,291
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $4,712 per month in Simi Valley, CA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Simi Valley, CA $4,712
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $6,133 per month in Simi Valley, CA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Simi Valley, CA $6,133
Chicago, IL $6,077

Simi Valley, CA costs about 3% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Simi Valley, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Simi Valley, CA by 144%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.12 $23.12

$21.58 $21.58

7.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.0 $70.0

$88.7 $88.7

-21.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 $11.59

$13.20 $13.20

-12.20%

Cappuccino

$5.29 $5.29

$5.59 $5.59

-5.37%

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

$2.05 $2.05

$2.63 $2.63

-22.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.26 $2.26

-12.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 $7.35

$7.11 $7.11

3.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 $6.04

$9.23 $9.23

-34.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.28 $1.28

-9.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.84 $3.84

-36.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$5.07 $5.07

-11.83%

Eggs

$4.57 $4.57

$4.84 $4.84

-5.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.32 $12.32

$14.17 $14.17

-13.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 $11.20

$14.61 $14.61

-23.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.95 $13.95

$18.76 $18.76

-25.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$5.19 $5.19

-25.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.00 $2.00

-11.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$4.00 $4.00

-6.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$4.98 $4.98

33.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.79 $2.79

-6.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.65 $2.65

30.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.13 $2.13

-4.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$3.09 $3.09

-25.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 $11.68

$16.05 $16.05

-27.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 $12.06

$15.20 $15.20

-20.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.62 $2.62

-32.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.46 $3.46

-9.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.47 $2.47

-27.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.21 $3.21

38.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.39 $1.39

30.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.72 $35.72

$25.02 $25.02

42.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.24 $1.24

6.45%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$37.2K $37.2K

-2.08%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$25.8K $25.8K

-1.06%

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

$211 $211

$192 $192

9.76%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$67.8 $67.8

-7.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.0 $69.0

$60.9 $60.9

13.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.23 $30.23

$53.6 $53.6

-43.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 $11.96

$17.80 $17.80

-32.81%

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

$1,196 $1,196

$1,554 $1,554

-23.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.0K $43.0K

$31.4K $31.4K

37.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 $75.1

$67.9 $67.9

10.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 $40.02

$50.8 $50.8

-21.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 $81.0

$101 $101

-20.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 $171

$143 $143

19.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,071 $2,071

$2,383 $2,383

-13.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,986 $1,986

$1,712 $1,712

16.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,450 $2,450

$4,674 $4,674

-47.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,287 $3,287

$2,738 $2,738

20.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,023 $5,023

$4,894 $4,894

2.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.77

-1.92%

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

Last update for Simi Valley, 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

Simi Valley, CA

$2K 60.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 13.8% $274

Groceries & Markets

Simi Valley, CA

$375 11.4%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 20.4% $76

Eating Out

Simi Valley, CA

$348 10.6%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 1.4% $4.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Simi Valley, CA

$343 10.4%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 6.3% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Simi Valley, CA

$165 5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 1% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Simi Valley, CA

$54 1.7%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 64.7% $35

Getting Around

Simi Valley, CA

$21 * 0.6%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 361% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,071 in Simi Valley, 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 3% higher in Simi Valley, 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 $70.0 in Simi Valley, CA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $375 vs $451 – making Simi Valley, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Simi Valley, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

15:48 3:48 PM

2 h ahead of Simi Valley, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

121,288

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Simi Valley, CA Chicago, IL 2,840 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Simi Valley, CA
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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

Simi Valley, CA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,291 in Simi Valley, CA, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,937 per month in Simi Valley, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Simi Valley, CA and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 20% cheaper in Simi Valley, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,291 in Simi Valley, 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 $3,291 in Simi Valley, 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, Simi Valley, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.