Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aalborg and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Aalborg: $2,159 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Aalborg
Learn more

Aalborg Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Aalborg

🇩🇰 Denmark

$2,159

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,159 per month in Aalborg vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Aalborg $2,159
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,363 per month in Aalborg vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Aalborg $3,363
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $4,568 per month in Aalborg vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Aalborg $4,568
Chicago, IL $6,077

Aalborg is about 32% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Aalborg and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Aalborg by 60%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.94 DKK 139

$21.58 $21.58

-2.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 DKK 691

$88.7 $88.7

17.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.97 DKK 99.5

$13.20 $13.20

13.41%

Cappuccino

$6.45 DKK 42.90

$5.59 $5.59

15.38%

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

$3.98 DKK 26.45

$2.63 $2.63

51.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 DKK 18.30

$2.26 $2.26

21.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.67 DKK 51.0

$7.11 $7.11

7.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.46 DKK 42.95

$9.23 $9.23

-30.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 DKK 13.10

$1.28 $1.28

53.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 DKK 21.88

$3.84 $3.84

-14.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.70 DKK 17.96

$5.07 $5.07

-46.75%

Eggs

$4.90 DKK 32.57

$4.84 $4.84

1.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.82 DKK 112

$14.17 $14.17

18.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.53 DKK 76.7

$14.61 $14.61

-21.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.94 DKK 153

$18.76 $18.76

22.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 DKK 19.70

$5.19 $5.19

-42.97%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 DKK 23.45

$2.00 $2.00

76.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.09 DKK 27.17

$4.00 $4.00

2.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.46 DKK 29.69

$4.98 $4.98

-10.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 DKK 14.72

$2.79 $2.79

-20.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 DKK 13.49

$2.65 $2.65

-23.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 DKK 13.73

$2.13 $2.13

-3.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 DKK 9.42

$3.09 $3.09

-54.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.15 DKK 67.5

$16.05 $16.05

-36.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.78 DKK 71.7

$15.20 $15.20

-29.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 DKK 11.71

$2.62 $2.62

-32.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 DKK 17.96

$3.46 $3.46

-21.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.56 DKK 23.65

$2.47 $2.47

44.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 DKK 494

$75.1 $75.1

-1.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.04 DKK 60.1

$3.21 $3.21

181.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 DKK 13.99

$1.39 $1.39

51.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.3 DKK 441

$25.02 $25.02

165.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.65 DKK 17.66

$1.24 $1.24

113.71%

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

$50.0K DKK 332.9K

$37.2K $37.2K

34.61%

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

$54.3K DKK 361.2K

$25.8K $25.8K

110.33%

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

$222 DKK 1,479

$192 $192

15.66%

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

$14.43 DKK 96.0

$67.8 $67.8

-78.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.59 DKK 297

$60.9 $60.9

-26.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 DKK 271

$53.6 $53.6

-23.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.41 DKK 176

$27.90 $27.90

-5.34%

Cinema Ticket

$22.66 DKK 151

$17.80 $17.80

27.30%

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

$521 DKK 3,465

$1,554 $1,554

-66.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,395 DKK 29.2K

$31.4K $31.4K

-85.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 DKK 688

$67.9 $67.9

52.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.50 DKK 323

$50.8 $50.8

-4.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 DKK 779

$101 $101

15.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 DKK 1,124

$143 $143

18.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$863 DKK 5,741

$2,383 $2,383

-63.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 DKK 4,731

$1,712 $1,712

-58.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 DKK 10.6K

$4,674 $4,674

-65.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 DKK 7,985

$2,738 $2,738

-56.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,293 DKK 35.2K

$4,158 $4,158

27.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,086 DKK 27.2K

$2,691 $2,691

51.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,071 DKK 27.1K

$4,894 $4,894

-16.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.24

6.77

-37.37%

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

Last update for Aalborg: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Aalborg

$711 33%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 141% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Aalborg

$406 18.8%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 11.1% $45

Eating Out

Aalborg

$368 17.1%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 4.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aalborg

$281 13%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 14.1% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Aalborg

$197 9.1%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 17.1% $34

Getting Around

Aalborg

$108 5%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 12% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Aalborg

$86 4%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 3.5% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $863 in Aalborg versus $2,383 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 20% higher in Chicago, IL, 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 $104 in Aalborg versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $406 in Aalborg vs $451 in Chicago, IL – so Aalborg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇰 Aalborg

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

02:15 2:15 AM

19:15 7:15 PM

7 h behind Aalborg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,194

2,746,388

💱 Currency

Danish Krone DKK kr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 DKK = 0.15 USD

1 DKK = 0.134 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to DKK – Danish Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇩🇰 Danish Krone (kr)

Danish Krone exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 DKK (1 DKK = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 DKK (1 DKK = 0.134 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to DKK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Aalborg Chicago, IL 6,620 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Aalborg
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

Aalborg vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chicago, IL is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,238 per month in Aalborg and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aalborg, 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 $104 in Aalborg and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,159 in Aalborg and $3,185 in Chicago, IL. That's a gap of about 48%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Aalborg, where all-in costs run around $2,159, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In Aalborg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Aalborg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Aalborg. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.