Cost of Living in Chicago vs Los Angeles

Chicago is generally more affordable than Los Angeles, especially when it comes to rent and dining. Use the calculator below to compare monthly living costs across key expense categories.

Cost of Living Comparison

Monthly cost
Monthly cost
Cheaper city
Category

Estimates based on aggregated public and crowdsourced data. Rent assumes a one-bedroom apartment.

Which city is cheaper overall?

For most people, Chicago is cheaper than Los Angeles due to significantly lower housing costs.