Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Santa Monica, CA 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in Santa Monica, CA are 2.0% lower than in Chicago, IL (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in Santa Monica, CA are 11.6% higher than in Chicago, IL | |
| Rent Prices in Santa Monica, CA are 32.7% higher than in Chicago, IL | |
| Restaurant Prices in Santa Monica, CA are 1.8% higher than in Chicago, IL | |
| Groceries Prices in Santa Monica, CA are 16.0% lower than in Chicago, IL | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Santa Monica, CA is 31.3% higher than in Chicago, IL | |
Restaurants | Chicago, IL Edit |
Santa Monica, CA Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 25.00 $ | 25.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 100.00 $ | 102.50 $ | +2.5 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 12.00 $ | 12.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 8.00 $ | 8.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 8.00 $ | 10.00 $ | +25.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.19 $ | 5.36 $ | +3.2 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.99 $ | 2.88 $ | -3.9 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.39 $ | 2.00 $ | -16.4 % |
Markets | Chicago, IL Edit |
Santa Monica, CA Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 4.04 $ | 4.80 $ | +18.9 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.84 $ | 4.00 $ | +4.2 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.85 $ | 2.33 $ | -18.2 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 4.07 $ | 5.00 $ | +22.7 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 7.52 $ | 6.32 $ | -16.0 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.74 $ | 5.70 $ | -15.4 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 9.46 $ | 5.66 $ | -40.2 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.70 $ | 2.50 $ | -7.2 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.89 $ | 0.96 $ | +7.5 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.10 $ | 1.50 $ | -28.8 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.24 $ | 2.23 $ | -0.5 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.19 $ | 1.44 $ | +20.4 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.35 $ | 1.08 $ | -20.0 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.25 $ | 2.06 $ | -8.6 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.62 $ | 2.20 $ | -15.9 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 15.00 $ | 12.50 $ | -16.7 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.43 $ | 1.73 $ | -28.8 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 4.31 $ | 3.90 $ | -9.6 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 16.50 $ | 11.00 $ | -33.3 % |
Transportation | Chicago, IL Edit |
Santa Monica, CA Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.50 $ | 2.12 $ | -15.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 80.00 $ | 80.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.25 $ | 4.30 $ | +32.3 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 2.25 $ | 2.70 $ | +20.0 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 25.00 $ | 29.19 $ | +16.8 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 4.21 $ | 4.86 $ | +15.3 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 37,383.69 $ | 30,499.50 $ | -18.4 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 27,211.87 $ | 25,099.32 $ | -7.8 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Chicago, IL Edit |
Santa Monica, CA Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 157.44 $ | 194.49 $ | +23.5 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 54.48 $ | 43.00 $ | -21.1 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 57.38 $ | 70.33 $ | +22.6 % |
Sports And Leisure | Chicago, IL Edit |
Santa Monica, CA Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 78.67 $ | 100.00 $ | +27.1 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 6.25 $ | 65.00 $ | +940.0 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 15.00 $ | 17.00 $ | +13.3 % |
Childcare | Chicago, IL Edit |
Santa Monica, CA Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,170.00 $ | 1,950.00 $ | -10.1 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 45,450.00 $ | 28,750.00 $ | -36.7 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Chicago, IL Edit |
Santa Monica, CA Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 60.46 $ | 62.66 $ | +3.6 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 53.75 $ | 32.50 $ | -39.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 97.19 $ | 105.83 $ | +8.9 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 128.06 $ | 145.75 $ | +13.8 % |
Rent Per Month | Chicago, IL Edit |
Santa Monica, CA Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,446.74 $ | 2,900.00 $ | +18.5 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,507.04 $ | 2,600.00 $ | +72.5 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,608.70 $ | 5,433.33 $ | +17.9 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,963.64 $ | 4,366.67 $ | +47.3 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Chicago, IL Edit |
Santa Monica, CA Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 334.28 $ | 874.99 $ | +161.8 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 260.01 $ | 699.99 $ | +169.2 % |
Salaries And Financing | Chicago, IL Edit |
Santa Monica, CA Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,011.38 $ | 7,343.00 $ | +46.5 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.64 | 6.65 | +0.1 % |
| Last update: | May 2024 | May 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 218 | 9 |
Moving to Chicago, IL? Explore:
Moving to Santa Monica, CA? Explore:
Cities near Chicago, IL: | Cost of Living in Oak Park, Illinois | 9.14 miles |
| Cost of Living in Evanston, Illinois | 14.20 miles |
| Cost of Living in La Grange Park, Illinois | 15.03 miles |
| Cost of Living in Franklin Park, Illinois | 16.69 miles |
| Cost of Living in Des Plaines, Illinois | 20.82 miles |
| Cost of Living in East Chicago, Indiana | 23.76 miles |
| Cost of Living in Wheaton, Illinois | 25.81 miles |
| Cost of Living in Bolingbrook, Illinois | 29.21 miles |
| Cost of Living in Naperville, Illinois | 30.13 miles |
| Cost of Living in Schaumburg, Illinois | 30.60 miles |
Cities near Santa Monica, CA: | Cost of Living in Hermosa Beach, California | 14.21 miles |
| Cost of Living in Los Angeles, California | 15.85 miles |
| Cost of Living in Glendale, California | 23.92 miles |
| Cost of Living in Long Beach, California | 29.39 miles |
| Cost of Living in Rancho Palos Verdes, California | 30.40 miles |
| Cost of Living in Cerritos, California | 33.08 miles |
| Cost of Living in Santa Clarita, California | 33.76 miles |
| Cost of Living in Thousand Oaks, California | 34.91 miles |
| Cost of Living in Simi Valley, California | 36.40 miles |
| Cost of Living in Brea, California | 39.20 miles |