Chicago vs Los Angeles - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Los Angeles
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2851
$3420
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6527
$7800
🏠 One person rent
$1714
$2177
🏘️ Family rent
$2737
$3742
🍽️ Food expenses
$704
$761
🚐 Transport expenses
$212
$263
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5090
$4482
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Good
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
17 km
🎓 Higher education
100
99
😀 Quality of life
95
93
🏙️ Population
2.75M
3.9M

The cost of living in Chicago is 17% less expensive than in Los Angeles. Cities ranked 358th and 62nd ($2851 vs $3420) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 300th and 47th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Chicago compared to 1.3 months in Los Angeles. Ranked 3rd vs 8th best cities to live in the United States, and 18th vs 50th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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Prices in Chicago vs Los Angeles

Prices for goods and services in Chicago and Los Angeles are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Chicago Los Angeles
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$19.6
$22.4
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$84.3
$104
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12.7
$14.1
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.35
$8.92
☕ Cappuccino
$6.06
$6.66
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.85
$3.53
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2011
$2356
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1414
$1856
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3203
$4109
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2316
$3268
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$117
$152
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$180
$236
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$63.3
$69.2
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.32%
6.28%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3899
$8186
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2568
$7185
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.51
$1.76
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$82.6
$95.5
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.5
$19.5
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.12
$1.37
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.2
$1.32
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.67
$4.33
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.62
$4.26
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.11
$6.59
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.2
$15.1
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.5
$14.3
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$19.1
$20.4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.78
$5.08
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.86
$2.46
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.96
$5.3
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.01
$5.19
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.39
$2.89
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.63
$2.91
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.79
$1.67
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.71
$3.57
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16
$15.3
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.02
$2.99
🚬 Cigarette pack
$17.4
$12.9
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.6
$9.24
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.05
$6.99
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.22
$5.99
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.31
$2.92
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$74.6
$70.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$17
$18.2
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$177
$164
💇 Haircut, simple
$32.8
$29.5
👖 Brand Jeans
$62.9
$80.1
👟 Brand Sneakers
$105
$110
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1582
$1748
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$27880
$23685

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2444
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2399
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2440
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2425
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2423
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2232
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2309
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2454
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2430
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2463
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2376
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2394
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2461
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2323
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2444
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2483
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2436
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2569
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2436
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2508
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2425
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1751
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2440
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2443
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2439
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2580
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1761
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2429
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2400
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2508
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2463
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2543
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2418
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2438
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2425
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2406
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2418
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1784
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2423
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2453

Cities near Los Angeles

Distance City Cost of living
8.1 km or 5 mi Huntington Park
$2945
8.9 km or 5.5 mi Maywood
$2888
9.2 km or 5.7 mi Florence-Graham
$2945
10 km or 6.2 mi Bell
$2868
10 km or 6.2 mi Monterey Park
$2786
11 km or 6.6 mi Alhambra
$3031
11 km or 6.6 mi South Pasadena
$3020
11 km or 7 mi Cudahy
$2866
12 km or 7.6 mi San Gabriel
$3184
12 km or 7.7 mi Bell Gardens
$2798
12 km or 7.8 mi West Hollywood
$3055
13 km or 7.8 mi Montebello
$2826
13 km or 8 mi South Gate
$2867
13 km or 8.2 mi Glendale
$3717
14 km or 8.8 mi Inglewood
$3066
15 km or 9 mi Beverly Hills
$2945
15 km or 9.1 mi Lynwood
$2880
15 km or 9.3 mi Rosemead
$2868
15 km or 9.5 mi Culver
$3054
15 km or 9.6 mi Pasadena
$3802
16 km or 9.9 mi Pico Rivera
$2818
16 km or 10 mi Burbank
$3369
16 km or 10 mi Downey
$2766
17 km or 11 mi Compton
$2922
18 km or 11 mi La Canada Flintridge
$3179
18 km or 11 mi Hawthorne
$3139
18 km or 11 mi Temple
$2909
18 km or 11 mi South El Monte
$2849
18 km or 11 mi West Whittier-Los Nietos
$2826
18 km or 11 mi Paramount
$2793
19 km or 12 mi Gardena
$3076
20 km or 12 mi El Monte
$2858
21 km or 13 mi Lawndale
$3243
21 km or 13 mi Arcadia
$3020
21 km or 13 mi Bellflower
$2758
22 km or 14 mi Norwalk
$2694
22 km or 14 mi Santa Monica
$3654
22 km or 14 mi Whittier
$2835
23 km or 15 mi Manhattan Beach
$3295
24 km or 15 mi Carson
$3000