Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ukiah, CA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Ukiah, CA: $2,567 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Ukiah, CA
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Ukiah, CA Living Index
147

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

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Ukiah, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,567

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,567 per month in Ukiah, CA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Ukiah, CA $2,567
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,809 per month in Ukiah, CA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Ukiah, CA $3,809
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,051 per month in Ukiah, CA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Ukiah, CA $5,051
Chicago, IL $5,999

Ukiah, CA is about 15% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ukiah, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Ukiah, CA by 89%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.89 $20.89

$20.71 $20.71

0.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 $54.7

$89.2 $89.2

-38.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.12 $11.12

$13.19 $13.19

-15.69%

Cappuccino

$5.51 $5.51

$5.66 $5.66

-2.65%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$2.64 $2.64

10.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.28 $2.28

1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.94 $4.94

$6.87 $6.87

-28.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 $6.09

$8.84 $8.84

-31.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.25 $1.25

-4.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.72 $3.72

9.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$5.39 $5.39

-7.05%

Eggs

$6.13 $6.13

$4.74 $4.74

29.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 $11.98

$13.84 $13.84

-13.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 $7.86

$14.40 $14.40

-45.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.05 $18.05

$18.38 $18.38

-1.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$5.22 $5.22

-16.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.98 $1.98

10.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.38 $8.38

$4.06 $4.06

106.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$4.97 $4.97

33.80%

Potato (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$2.67 $2.67

94.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.66 $2.66

12.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.24 $2.24

12.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.13 $3.13

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.71 $11.71

$13.82 $13.82

-15.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.83 $19.83

$14.88 $14.88

33.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.54 $2.54

-33.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.51 $3.51

3.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.18 $3.18

1.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.39 $1.39

67.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.03 $40.03

$25.03 $25.03

59.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.20 $1.20

28.33%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$35.0K $35.0K

-20.61%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.85%

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

$191 $191

$194 $194

-1.77%

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

$63.1 $63.1

$69.5 $69.5

-9.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 $67.1

$61.6 $61.6

8.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$106 $106

$47.90 $47.90

121.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.07 $12.07

$17.81 $17.81

-32.23%

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

$1,483 $1,483

$1,794 $1,794

-17.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.1K $37.1K

$31.9K $31.9K

16.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.85 $36.85

$67.0 $67.0

-45.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.93 $14.93

$52.1 $52.1

-71.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$102 $102

-15.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$144 $144

-1.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 $1,491

$2,526 $2,526

-40.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 $1,199

$1,578 $1,578

-24.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,326 $2,326

$4,738 $4,738

-50.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,134 $2,134

$2,693 $2,693

-20.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,095 $4,095

$4,190 $4,190

-2.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,040 $4,040

$2,768 $2,768

45.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.81

-0.59%

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

Last update for Ukiah, CA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ukiah, CA

$1.2K 46.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 31.6% $379

Groceries & Markets

Ukiah, CA

$452 17.6%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 1% $4.6

Eating Out

Ukiah, CA

$325 12.6%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 6.3% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ukiah, CA

$321 12.5%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 1.4% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Ukiah, CA

$130 5.1%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 35.9% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Ukiah, CA

$125 4.9%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 31% $39

Getting Around

Ukiah, CA

$15 * 0.6%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 528% $79

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,491 in Ukiah, CA versus $2,526 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Ukiah, CA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $452 in Ukiah, CA vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ukiah, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

09:05 9:05 AM

11:05 11:05 AM

2 h ahead of Ukiah, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,036

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ukiah, CA Chicago, IL 3,000 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ukiah, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,567 in Ukiah, CA, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – roughly 18% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,851 per month in Ukiah, CA and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ukiah, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,491 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Kindergarten costs $1,483 per month in Ukiah, CA and $1,794 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,567 in Ukiah, CA and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. That’s a gap of about 18%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Ukiah, CA, where all-in costs run around $2,567, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Ukiah, CA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ukiah, CA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.