Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,139 a month against $3,635 in Vacaville, CA, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vacaville, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

177

Cost of Living Index in Vacaville, CA
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Vacaville, CA Living Index
152

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

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Vacaville, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,635

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,635 per month in Vacaville, CA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Vacaville, CA $3,635
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,771 per month in Vacaville, CA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Vacaville, CA $4,771
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,907 per month in Vacaville, CA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Vacaville, CA $5,907
Chicago, IL $6,115

Vacaville, CA costs about 16% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Vacaville, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Vacaville, CA by 168%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.25 $20.25

$20.65 $20.65

-1.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.54 $45.54

$90.2 $90.2

-49.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.24 $13.24

$12.94 $12.94

2.32%

Cappuccino

$5.98 $5.98

$5.60 $5.60

6.79%

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

$3.11 $3.11

$2.64 $2.64

17.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.27 $2.27

21.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 $7.13

$6.98 $6.98

2.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$8.83 $8.83

-21.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.27 $1.27

33.86%

White Bread (500g)

$4.83 $4.83

$3.80 $3.80

27.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$5.30 $5.30

-7.74%

Eggs

$4.85 $4.85

$4.76 $4.76

1.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.50 $16.50

$13.96 $13.96

18.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.34 $15.34

$14.61 $14.61

5.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.83 $22.83

$18.77 $18.77

21.63%

Apples (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$5.19 $5.19

17.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.98 $1.98

-2.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.93 $3.93

3.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.96 $4.96

36.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.76 $2.76

9.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.76 $2.76

30.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.22 $2.22

26.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.98 $2.98

-11.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.09 $12.09

$14.02 $14.02

-13.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 $14.43

$15.28 $15.28

-5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.58 $2.58

19.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.50 $3.50

4.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 $4.26

$3.34 $3.34

27.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.43 $1.43

44.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.61 $38.61

$24.32 $24.32

58.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.26 $1.26

19.84%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$35.0K $35.0K

-0.63%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.19%

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

$211 $211

$193 $193

9.53%

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

$60.3 $60.3

$68.3 $68.3

-11.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.8 $76.8

$61.3 $61.3

25.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.20 $45.20

$54.1 $54.1

-16.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.82 $17.82

$17.74 $17.74

0.45%

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

$2,963 $2,963

$1,652 $1,652

79.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.1K $43.1K

$31.1K $31.1K

38.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.7 $74.7

$66.1 $66.1

13.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.57 $48.57

$51.2 $51.2

-5.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$100 $100

0.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

-0.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,349 $2,349

$2,446 $2,446

-3.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,179 $2,179

$1,678 $1,678

29.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,901 $2,901

$4,717 $4,717

-38.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,865 $2,865

$2,795 $2,795

2.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,750 $3,750

$4,105 $4,105

-8.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,315 $5,315

$4,866 $4,866

9.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

6.81

-0.73%

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

Last update for Vacaville, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vacaville, CA

$2.2K 60%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 23% $501

Groceries & Markets

Vacaville, CA

$502 13.8%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 10.4% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vacaville, CA

$348 9.6%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 7.4% $26

Eating Out

Vacaville, CA

$346 9.5%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 0.9% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Vacaville, CA

$164 4.5%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 1.7% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Vacaville, CA

$81 2.2%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 10.8% $8.8

Getting Around

Vacaville, CA

$15 * 0.4%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 551% $81

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,349 in Vacaville, CA versus $2,446 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 9% higher in Vacaville, 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 $46.00 in Vacaville, CA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $502 in Vacaville, CA vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Vacaville, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

10:45 10:45 AM

12:45 12:45 PM

2 h ahead of Vacaville, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,670

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Vacaville, CA Chicago, IL 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Vacaville, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,635 in Vacaville, CA, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 16% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,452 per month in Vacaville, CA and $4,708 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 $46.00 in Vacaville, CA and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Vacaville, 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 $3,635 in Vacaville, CA and $3,139 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 $3,139 in Chicago, IL to $3,635 in Vacaville, 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, Vacaville, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.