Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albertville, AL and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Albertville, AL: $2,456 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Albertville, AL
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Albertville, AL Living Index
152

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

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Albertville, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,456

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,456 per month in Albertville, AL vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Albertville, AL $2,456
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Albertville, AL vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Albertville, AL $3,048
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $3,640 per month in Albertville, AL vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Albertville, AL $3,640
Chicago, IL $6,115

Albertville, AL is about 22% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Albertville, AL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Albertville, AL by 81%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.10 $18.10

$20.65 $20.65

-12.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 $85.1

$90.2 $90.2

-5.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.93 $11.93

$12.94 $12.94

-7.81%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$5.60 $5.60

21.25%

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

$2.99 $2.99

$2.64 $2.64

13.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.27 $2.27

6.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 $6.84

$6.98 $6.98

-2.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.08 $8.08

$8.83 $8.83

-8.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.27 $1.27

-9.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.80 $3.80

-30.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$5.30 $5.30

-62.08%

Eggs

$2.41 $2.41

$4.76 $4.76

-49.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 $8.57

$13.96 $13.96

-38.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.41 $7.41

$14.61 $14.61

-49.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.73 $13.73

$18.77 $18.77

-26.85%

Apples (1kg)

$5.68 $5.68

$5.19 $5.19

9.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.98 $1.98

-19.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.93 $3.93

-9.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$4.96 $4.96

-35.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.76 $2.76

-2.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.76 $2.76

-29.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.22 $2.22

3.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.98 $2.98

-24.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.17 $9.17

$14.02 $14.02

-34.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.66 $15.66

$15.28 $15.28

2.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 $1.40

$2.58 $2.58

-45.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.50 $3.50

33.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.47 $2.47

-7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.34 $3.34

47.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.43 $1.43

4.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.31 $21.31

$24.32 $24.32

-12.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.26 $1.26

-26.98%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

-27.66%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$26.1K $26.1K

5.63%

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

$227 $227

$193 $193

17.70%

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

$30.23 $30.23

$68.3 $68.3

-55.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.07 $49.07

$61.3 $61.3

-19.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.82 $41.82

$54.1 $54.1

-22.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 $15.11

$17.74 $17.74

-14.83%

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

$1,443 $1,443

$1,652 $1,652

-12.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K $30.4K

$31.1K $31.1K

-2.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 $54.8

$66.1 $66.1

-17.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.40 $40.40

$51.2 $51.2

-21.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 $74.5

$100 $100

-25.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$141 $141

-28.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,622 $1,622

$2,446 $2,446

-33.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 $1,276

$1,678 $1,678

-23.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 $1,156

$4,717 $4,717

-75.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 $1,013

$2,795 $2,795

-63.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,454 $2,454

$4,105 $4,105

-40.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,468 $2,468

$2,650 $2,650

-6.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,591 $1,591

$4,866 $4,866

-67.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.81

-3.82%

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

Last update for Albertville, AL: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Albertville, AL

$1.3K 52%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 31.5% $402

Eating Out

Albertville, AL

$334 13.6%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 2.8% $9.4

Groceries & Markets

Albertville, AL

$324 13.2%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 38.8% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albertville, AL

$306 12.5%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 5.3% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Albertville, AL

$122 5%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 32.2% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Albertville, AL

$72 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 24.4% $18

Getting Around

Albertville, AL

$22 * 0.9%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 341% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,622 in Albertville, AL versus $2,446 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 206% 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 $85.0 in Albertville, AL versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $449 – making Albertville, AL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Albertville, AL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

08:57 8:57 AM

Same time as Albertville, AL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,386

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Albertville, AL Chicago, IL 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Albertville, AL
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

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

Chicago, IL costs about 28% more than Albertville, AL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,683 per month in Albertville, AL and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Albertville, AL, 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 $85.0 in Albertville, AL and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,456 in Albertville, AL and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Albertville, AL costs $2,456 versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Albertville, AL. 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.