Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,139 a month against $3,689 in Walnut Creek, CA, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

179

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

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

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Walnut Creek, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,689

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,689 per month in Walnut Creek, CA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Walnut Creek, CA $3,689
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $5,385 per month in Walnut Creek, CA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Walnut Creek, CA $5,385
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $7,081 per month in Walnut Creek, CA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Walnut Creek, CA $7,081
Chicago, IL $6,115

Walnut Creek, CA costs about 18% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Walnut Creek, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Walnut Creek, CA by 172%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.40 $20.40

$20.65 $20.65

-1.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 $89.0

$90.2 $90.2

-1.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.96 $14.96

$12.94 $12.94

15.61%

Cappuccino

$5.28 $5.28

$5.60 $5.60

-5.71%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$2.64 $2.64

14.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.27 $2.27

5.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.84 $7.84

$6.98 $6.98

12.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$8.83 $8.83

-10.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.27 $1.27

9.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.80 $3.80

1.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$5.30 $5.30

-35.66%

Eggs

$5.41 $5.41

$4.76 $4.76

13.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.02 $26.02

$13.96 $13.96

86.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.03 $18.03

$14.61 $14.61

23.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.37 $22.37

$18.77 $18.77

19.18%

Apples (1kg)

$8.08 $8.08

$5.19 $5.19

55.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.98 $1.98

12.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$3.93 $3.93

-14.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.96 $4.96

36.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.76 $2.76

-60.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.76 $2.76

11.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.22 $2.22

9.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.98 $2.98

1.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.70 $11.70

$14.02 $14.02

-16.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.98 $19.98

$15.28 $15.28

30.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.58 $2.58

-32.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$3.50 $3.50

-35.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.26 $6.26

$2.47 $2.47

153.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.34 $3.34

-5.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.43 $1.43

70.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.12 $40.12

$24.32 $24.32

64.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.26 $1.26

23.02%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

-22.30%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.1K $26.1K

1.61%

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

$188 $188

$193 $193

-2.29%

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

$75.6 $75.6

$68.3 $68.3

10.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.3 $67.3

$61.3 $61.3

9.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.6 $85.6

$54.1 $54.1

58.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 $15.14

$27.92 $27.92

-45.77%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$17.74 $17.74

-17.14%

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

$2,180 $2,180

$1,652 $1,652

31.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.7K $37.7K

$31.1K $31.1K

21.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 $72.3

$66.1 $66.1

9.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 $61.0

$51.2 $51.2

19.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$100 $100

5.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 $203

$141 $141

43.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,382 $2,382

$2,446 $2,446

-2.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,123 $2,123

$1,678 $1,678

26.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,516 $4,516

$4,717 $4,717

-4.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,520 $3,520

$2,795 $2,795

25.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,403 $6,403

$2,650 $2,650

141.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,843 $6,843

$4,866 $4,866

40.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.58

6.81

-3.38%

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

Last update for Walnut Creek, 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

Walnut Creek, CA

$2.1K 57.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 21% $445

Groceries & Markets

Walnut Creek, CA

$532 14.4%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 15.6% $83

Eating Out

Walnut Creek, CA

$348 9.4%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 1.3% $4.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Walnut Creek, CA

$331 9%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 2.7% $8.9

Clothing & Footwear

Walnut Creek, CA

$199 5.4%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 18.9% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Walnut Creek, CA

$115 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 22.1% $25

Getting Around

Walnut Creek, CA

$40 * 1.1%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 135% $55

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,382 in Walnut Creek, 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 41% higher in Walnut Creek, 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 $89.0 in Walnut Creek, CA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $532 in Walnut Creek, CA vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Walnut Creek, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

04:38 4:38 AM

06:38 6:38 AM

2 h ahead of Walnut Creek, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,166

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Walnut Creek, CA Chicago, IL 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,689 in Walnut Creek, CA, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 18% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,534 per month in Walnut Creek, 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 $89.0 in Walnut Creek, 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 18% more in Walnut Creek, 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 $3,689 in Walnut Creek, 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 $3,689 in Walnut Creek, 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, Walnut Creek, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.