Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Albuquerque, NM: $2,342 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

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

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

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Albuquerque, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,342

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,342 per month in Albuquerque, NM vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Albuquerque, NM $2,342
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,506 per month in Albuquerque, NM vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Albuquerque, NM $3,506
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,671 per month in Albuquerque, NM vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Albuquerque, NM $4,671
Chicago, IL $6,115

Albuquerque, NM is about 25% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Albuquerque, NM and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Albuquerque, NM by 73%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.34 $17.34

$20.65 $20.65

-16.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 $68.1

$90.2 $90.2

-24.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 $9.89

$12.94 $12.94

-23.57%

Cappuccino

$4.96 $4.96

$5.60 $5.60

-11.43%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$2.64 $2.64

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.27 $2.27

6.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 $5.90

$6.98 $6.98

-15.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 $8.23

$8.83 $8.83

-6.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.27 $1.27

-22.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.80 $3.80

-17.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$5.30 $5.30

-14.34%

Eggs

$4.75 $4.75

$4.76 $4.76

-0.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.63 $11.63

$13.96 $13.96

-16.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 $9.21

$14.61 $14.61

-36.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.29 $20.29

$18.77 $18.77

8.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.19 $5.19

-9.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.98 $1.98

-25.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.93 $3.93

5.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$4.96 $4.96

7.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$2.76 $2.76

18.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.76 $2.76

22.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.22 $2.22

-8.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.98 $2.98

-6.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 $10.72

$14.02 $14.02

-23.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.24 $14.24

$15.28 $15.28

-6.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.58 $2.58

-4.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 $3.64

$3.50 $3.50

4.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.01 $4.01

$74.8 $74.8

-94.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.34 $3.34

8.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.43 $1.43

42.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.35 $32.35

$24.32 $24.32

33.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.26 $1.26

-23.81%

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

$29.0K $29.0K

$35.0K $35.0K

-17.15%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$26.1K $26.1K

-3.63%

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

$155 $155

$193 $193

-19.79%

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

$62.9 $62.9

$68.3 $68.3

-7.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.0 $73.0

$61.3 $61.3

19.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.09 $49.09

$54.1 $54.1

-9.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.40 $14.40

$27.92 $27.92

-48.42%

Cinema Ticket

$12.79 $12.79

$17.74 $17.74

-27.90%

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

$1,487 $1,487

$1,652 $1,652

-9.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$31.1K $31.1K

-18.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 $53.4

$66.1 $66.1

-19.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.87 $43.87

$51.2 $51.2

-14.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$100 $100

6.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$141 $141

-16.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 $1,173

$2,446 $2,446

-52.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 $1,117

$1,678 $1,678

-33.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,267 $2,267

$4,717 $4,717

-51.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$2,795 $2,795

-30.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,466 $2,466

$4,105 $4,105

-39.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,257 $2,257

$2,650 $2,650

-14.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,016 $4,016

$4,866 $4,866

-17.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.81

-3.52%

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

Last update for Albuquerque, NM: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Albuquerque, NM

$1.1K 47.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 50.2% $561

Groceries & Markets

Albuquerque, NM

$402 17.2%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 11.7% $47

Eating Out

Albuquerque, NM

$295 12.6%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 16.4% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albuquerque, NM

$290 12.4%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 11% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Albuquerque, NM

$144 6.2%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 11.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Albuquerque, NM

$75 3.2%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 20% $15

Getting Around

Albuquerque, NM

$18 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 433% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,173 in Albuquerque, NM 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 21% 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 $68.0 in Albuquerque, NM versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $402 vs $449 – making Albuquerque, NM the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Albuquerque, NM

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

22:36 10:36 PM

23:36 11:36 PM

1 h ahead of Albuquerque, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

564,559

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

Albuquerque, NM Chicago, IL 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Albuquerque, 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

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

Chicago, IL costs about 34% more than Albuquerque, NM, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,513 per month in Albuquerque, NM 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 Albuquerque, NM, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,342 in Albuquerque, NM and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. That's a gap of about 34%.

Public transport costs about 1764% less in Albuquerque, NM. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Albuquerque, NM, where all-in costs run around $2,342, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Albuquerque, NM it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Albuquerque, NM costs $2,342 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 Albuquerque, NM. 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.