Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thousand Oaks, CA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,169 a month against $3,845 in Thousand Oaks, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

186

Cost of Living Index in Thousand Oaks, CA
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Thousand Oaks, CA Living Index
153

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

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Thousand Oaks, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,845

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,169

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,845 per month in Thousand Oaks, CA vs $3,169 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Thousand Oaks, CA $3,845
Chicago, IL $3,169

A couple spends around $5,209 per month in Thousand Oaks, CA vs $4,682 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Thousand Oaks, CA $5,209
Chicago, IL $4,682

A family of three spends $6,573 per month in Thousand Oaks, CA vs $6,196 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Thousand Oaks, CA $6,573
Chicago, IL $6,196

Thousand Oaks, CA costs about 21% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Thousand Oaks, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Thousand Oaks, CA by 187%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.09 $25.09

$21.62 $21.62

16.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.3 $98.3

$91.2 $91.2

7.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.00 $9.00

$13.09 $13.09

-31.25%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.78 $5.78

-2.60%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$2.64 $2.64

6.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.28 $2.28

-10.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.94 $6.94

14.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.38 $9.38

$8.93 $8.93

5.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.27 $1.27

-6.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.98 $3.98

$3.94 $3.94

1.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$4.96 $4.96

-27.82%

Eggs

$5.15 $5.15

$4.64 $4.64

10.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.54 $12.54

$13.97 $13.97

-10.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.47 $20.47

$14.37 $14.37

42.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.65 $22.65

$18.59 $18.59

21.84%

Apples (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.93 $1.93

-7.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$4.01 $4.01

19.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$4.94 $4.94

17.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.80 $2.80

29.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.16 $2.16

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$3.12 $3.12

-27.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.17 $10.17

$15.71 $15.71

-35.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.18 $15.18

$15.23 $15.23

-0.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.57 $2.57

-34.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.48 $3.48

-55.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.4 $74.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.23 $3.23

37.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.43 $1.43

33.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.32 $36.32

$24.33 $24.33

49.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.25 $1.25

18.40%

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

$37.5K $37.5K

$35.9K $35.9K

4.40%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

-1.10%

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

$161 $161

$195 $195

-17.05%

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

$47.91 $47.91

$69.0 $69.0

-30.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$62.1 $62.1

12.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.1 $66.1

$54.5 $54.5

21.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.11 $22.11

$27.80 $27.80

-20.47%

Cinema Ticket

$12.12 $12.12

$17.84 $17.84

-32.06%

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

$1,718 $1,718

$1,513 $1,513

13.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.2K $42.2K

$31.1K $31.1K

35.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.05 $49.05

$68.1 $68.1

-27.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.43 $29.43

$51.6 $51.6

-43.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 $79.1

$101 $101

-22.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$141 $141

-14.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,625 $2,625

$2,437 $2,437

7.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 $2,493

$1,662 $1,662

50.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,748 $3,748

$4,644 $4,644

-19.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,457 $3,457

$2,751 $2,751

25.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,777 $5,777

$4,036 $4,036

43.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,858 $5,858

$2,677 $2,677

118.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,925 $5,925

$4,861 $4,861

21.89%

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 Thousand Oaks, CA: October 3, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Thousand Oaks, CA

$2.5K 64.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53% 33.3% $831

Groceries & Markets

Thousand Oaks, CA

$472 12.3%

Chicago, IL

$450 14.3% 4.8% $23

Eating Out

Thousand Oaks, CA

$373 9.7%

Chicago, IL

$354 11.3% 5.2% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thousand Oaks, CA

$279 7.3%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.4% 16.7% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Thousand Oaks, CA

$125 3.3%

Chicago, IL

$163 5.2% 30.3% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Thousand Oaks, CA

$90 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 0.2% $0.2

Getting Around

Thousand Oaks, CA

$14 * 0.4%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 578% $81

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,625 in Thousand Oaks, CA versus $2,437 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 Thousand Oaks, 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 $98.0 in Thousand Oaks, CA versus $91.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $472 vs $450 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Thousand Oaks, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

03:21 3:21 AM

05:21 5:21 AM

2 h ahead of Thousand Oaks, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,207

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Thousand Oaks, CA Chicago, IL 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Thousand Oaks, 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

Thousand Oaks, CA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,845 in Thousand Oaks, CA, $3,169 in Chicago, IL – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,768 per month in Thousand Oaks, CA and $4,753 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 $98.0 in Thousand Oaks, CA and $91.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Thousand Oaks, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,845 in Thousand Oaks, CA and $3,169 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 $3,169 in Chicago, IL to $3,845 in Thousand Oaks, 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, Thousand Oaks, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.