Chicago vs Los Angeles - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Los Angeles
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2678
$3196
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6655
$7594
🏠 One person rent
$1596
$2049
🏘️ Family rent
$2946
$3732
🍽️ Food expenses
$700
$709
🚐 Transport expenses
$200
$220
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$4876
$4771
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ 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 16% less expensive than in Los Angeles. Cities ranked 529th and 80th ($2678 vs $3196) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 483rd and 71st in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Chicago compared to 1.5 months in Los Angeles. Ranked 3rd vs 7th best cities to live in the United States, and 23rd vs 58th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Chicago vs Los Angeles infographic

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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
$21.9
$21.7
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$90.6
$87.7
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12
$12.9
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7
$8.51
 Cappuccino
$5.4
$5.77
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.95
$2.7
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1841
$2168
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1327
$1758
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3729
$4056
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2474
$3293
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$104
$142
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$159
$220
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$62.1
$66.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.68%
6.74%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3391
$8056
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2689
$7115
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.48
$2.01
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$75.1
$73.5
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.1
$16.8
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.06
$1.26
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.94
$1.29
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.68
$4.1
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.61
$4.56
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.13
$6.05
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.5
$12.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.2
$14.5
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.3
$17.5
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.67
$5.12
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.84
$2.43
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.36
$4.03
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.43
$4.31
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.18
$2.63
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.71
$2.62
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.81
$1.56
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.85
$3.26
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$14.9
$15.4
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.04
$2.92
🚬 Cigarette pack
$15
$11.7
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.5
$10.4
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.02
$7
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.63
$5.25
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.76
$2.63
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$63
$49.3
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$14.8
$18.1
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$127
$190
💇 Haircut, simple
$29.8
$27.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$59
$60.3
👟 Brand Sneakers
$94.4
$105
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2114
$1650
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$24502
$28838

Cost of living in other countries

ChicagoLos Angeles

Cost of living

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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
$2425
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2421
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2510
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2426
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2444
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2194
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2256
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2401
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2418
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2384
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2314
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2334
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2389
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2264
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2377
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2392
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2363
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2509
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2359
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2393
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2360
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1938
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2362
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2363
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2344
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2396
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1948
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2350
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2378
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2446
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2369
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2506
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2342
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2367
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2342
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2227
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2345
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1954
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2351
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2371

Cities near Los Angeles

Distance City Cost of living
8.1 km or 5 mi Huntington Park
$2887
8.9 km or 5.5 mi Maywood
$2803
9.2 km or 5.7 mi Florence-Graham
$2873
10 km or 6.2 mi Bell
$2798
10 km or 6.2 mi Monterey Park
$2735
11 km or 6.6 mi Alhambra
$2936
11 km or 6.6 mi South Pasadena
$2902
11 km or 7 mi Cudahy
$2768
12 km or 7.6 mi San Gabriel
$3061
12 km or 7.7 mi Bell Gardens
$2727
12 km or 7.8 mi West Hollywood
$3105
13 km or 7.8 mi Montebello
$2739
13 km or 8 mi South Gate
$2786
13 km or 8.2 mi Glendale
$3659
14 km or 8.8 mi Inglewood
$3014
15 km or 9 mi Beverly Hills
$2903
15 km or 9.1 mi Lynwood
$2788
15 km or 9.3 mi Rosemead
$2780
15 km or 9.5 mi Culver
$3033
15 km or 9.6 mi Pasadena
$3416
16 km or 9.9 mi Pico Rivera
$2750
16 km or 10 mi Burbank
$3370
16 km or 10 mi Downey
$2735
17 km or 11 mi Compton
$2851
18 km or 11 mi La Canada Flintridge
$3086
18 km or 11 mi Hawthorne
$3104
18 km or 11 mi Temple
$2824
18 km or 11 mi South El Monte
$2787
18 km or 11 mi West Whittier-Los Nietos
$2750
18 km or 11 mi Paramount
$2720
19 km or 12 mi Gardena
$3022
20 km or 12 mi El Monte
$2775
21 km or 13 mi Lawndale
$3162
21 km or 13 mi Arcadia
$2758
21 km or 13 mi Bellflower
$2669
22 km or 14 mi Norwalk
$2662
22 km or 14 mi Santa Monica
$3573
22 km or 14 mi Whittier
$2789
23 km or 15 mi Manhattan Beach
$3256
24 km or 15 mi Carson
$2919