Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alamogordo, NM and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Alamogordo, NM: $1,962 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Alamogordo, NM
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Alamogordo, NM Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index

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Alamogordo, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$1,962

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,962 in Alamogordo, NM versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL.

Alamogordo, NM $1,962
Chicago, IL $3,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,964 in Alamogordo, NM versus $4,627 in Chicago, IL.

Alamogordo, NM $2,964
Chicago, IL $4,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,965 in Alamogordo, NM versus $6,115 in Chicago, IL.

Alamogordo, NM $3,965
Chicago, IL $6,115

Living in Alamogordo, NM costs roughly 37% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alamogordo, NM 45% above, Chicago, IL 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 $17.06

$20.65 $20.65

-17.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.1 $74.1

$90.2 $90.2

-17.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.74 $8.74

$12.94 $12.94

-32.46%

Cappuccino

$5.74 $5.74

$5.60 $5.60

2.50%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$2.64 $2.64

10.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.27 $2.27

-11.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 $4.92

$6.98 $6.98

-29.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 $4.87

$8.83 $8.83

-44.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.27 $1.27

-5.51%

White Bread (500g)

$4.21 $4.21

$3.80 $3.80

10.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$5.30 $5.30

5.66%

Eggs

$4.21 $4.21

$4.76 $4.76

-11.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.38 $16.38

$13.96 $13.96

17.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.58 $20.58

$14.61 $14.61

40.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 $16.75

$18.77 $18.77

-10.76%

Apples (1kg)

$6.01 $6.01

$5.19 $5.19

15.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.98 $1.98

-10.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$3.93 $3.93

-1.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$4.96 $4.96

-9.88%

Potato (1kg)

$8.75 $8.75

$2.76 $2.76

217.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.76 $2.76

-26.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.22 $2.22

11.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.98 $2.98

-14.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.84 $10.84

$14.02 $14.02

-22.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.04 $16.04

$15.28 $15.28

4.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.58 $2.58

-17.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.50 $3.50

17.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.47 $2.47

-58.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.26 $1.26

-15.08%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-24.47%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.1K $26.1K

-2.48%

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

$116 $116

$193 $193

-39.93%

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

$45.28 $45.28

$68.3 $68.3

-33.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 $66.3

$61.3 $61.3

8.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.31 $22.31

$27.92 $27.92

-20.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.11 $11.11

$17.74 $17.74

-37.37%

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

$1,332 $1,332

$1,652 $1,652

-19.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K $15.6K

$31.1K $31.1K

-49.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 $61.0

$66.1 $66.1

-7.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 $58.0

$51.2 $51.2

13.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 $79.5

$100 $100

-20.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 $1,057

$2,446 $2,446

-56.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 $838

$1,678 $1,678

-50.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 $1,604

$4,717 $4,717

-66.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,336 $1,336

$2,795 $2,795

-52.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,889 $1,889

$4,105 $4,105

-54.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,865 $1,865

$2,650 $2,650

-29.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,799 $2,799

$4,866 $4,866

-42.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

-11.89%

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

Last update for Alamogordo, NM: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alamogordo, NM

$838 42.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 100% $840

Groceries & Markets

Alamogordo, NM

$496 25.3%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 9.3% $46

Eating Out

Alamogordo, NM

$286 14.6%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 20.2% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alamogordo, NM

$227 11.6%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 41.7% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Alamogordo, NM

$89 * 4.6%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 80.6% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Alamogordo, NM

$22 * 1.1%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 303% $67

Getting Around

Alamogordo, NM

$4.1 * 0.2%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 2220% $91

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,057 in Alamogordo, NM and $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 74% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74.0 in Alamogordo, NM vs $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $496 vs $449, with Chicago, IL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alamogordo, NM

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

23:14 11:14 PM

1 h ahead of Alamogordo, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,384

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Alamogordo, NM Chicago, IL 1,900 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Alamogordo, NM
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

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

Alamogordo, NM and Chicago, IL differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($1,962 vs $3,139 including rent). Alamogordo, NM is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 74% lower in Chicago, IL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,057 in Alamogordo, NM versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Chicago, IL pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,962 per month in Alamogordo, NM versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,962 in Alamogordo, NM versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Alamogordo, NM but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Alamogordo, NM the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Alamogordo, NM gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.