Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Walnut, CA: $2,568 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

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

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

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Walnut, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,568

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,568 per month in Walnut, CA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Walnut, CA $2,568
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,821 per month in Walnut, CA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Walnut, CA $3,821
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,075 per month in Walnut, CA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Walnut, CA $5,075
Chicago, IL $6,115

Walnut, CA is about 18% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Walnut, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Walnut, CA by 90%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.90 $19.90

$20.65 $20.65

-3.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$90.2 $90.2

-10.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.14 $15.14

$12.94 $12.94

17.00%

Cappuccino

$6.25 $6.25

$5.60 $5.60

11.61%

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

$3.44 $3.44

$2.64 $2.64

30.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.27 $2.27

4.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.30 $7.30

$6.98 $6.98

4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.27 $9.27

$8.83 $8.83

4.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.27 $1.27

-14.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.99 $3.99

$3.80 $3.80

5.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$5.30 $5.30

-8.68%

Eggs

$4.77 $4.77

$4.76 $4.76

0.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.93 $12.93

$13.96 $13.96

-7.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.85 $19.85

$14.61 $14.61

35.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.69 $15.69

$18.77 $18.77

-16.41%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$5.19 $5.19

-2.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.98 $1.98

-15.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.59 $5.59

$3.93 $3.93

42.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$4.96 $4.96

18.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$2.76 $2.76

35.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.76 $2.76

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.22 $2.22

-11.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.98 $2.98

-37.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 $11.63

$14.02 $14.02

-17.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.28 $15.28

-0.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.58 $2.58

-22.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.50 $3.50

18.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.47 $2.47

-19.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.2 $61.2

$74.8 $74.8

-18.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.29 $6.29

$3.34 $3.34

88.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.43 $1.43

18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.00 $32.00

$24.32 $24.32

31.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.26 $1.26

23.81%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-18.30%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.87%

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

$165 $165

$193 $193

-14.25%

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

$66.3 $66.3

$68.3 $68.3

-2.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.2 $58.2

$61.3 $61.3

-4.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.06 $42.06

$54.1 $54.1

-22.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$15.15 $15.15

$17.74 $17.74

-14.60%

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

$1,872 $1,872

$1,652 $1,652

13.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K $20.4K

$31.1K $31.1K

-34.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 $57.4

$66.1 $66.1

-13.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.76 $39.76

$51.2 $51.2

-22.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 $93.4

$100 $100

-6.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 $146

$141 $141

3.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 $1,540

$2,446 $2,446

-37.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 $1,157

$1,678 $1,678

-31.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,747 $2,747

$4,717 $4,717

-41.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,897 $1,897

$2,795 $2,795

-32.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,014 $3,014

$4,105 $4,105

-26.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,422 $2,422

$2,650 $2,650

-8.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.81

-6.17%

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

Last update for Walnut, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Walnut, CA

$1.2K 45.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 45% $521

Groceries & Markets

Walnut, CA

$456 17.8%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 1.4% $6.6

Eating Out

Walnut, CA

$358 13.9%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 4.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Walnut, CA

$290 11.3%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 11.2% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Walnut, CA

$151 5.9%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 6.6% $9.9

Getting Around

Walnut, CA

$84 3.3%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 13.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Walnut, CA

$72 2.8%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 23.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,540 in Walnut, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Walnut, CA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $456 in Walnut, CA vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Walnut, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

12:56 12:56 PM

14:56 2:56 PM

2 h ahead of Walnut, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,294

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Walnut, CA Chicago, IL 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Walnut, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,568 in Walnut, CA, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,852 per month in Walnut, 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 Walnut, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Walnut, CA and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,568 in Walnut, 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 $2,568 in Walnut, CA to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. 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 Walnut, CA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.