Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandria, VA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Alexandria, VA and in Chicago, IL: $3,249 and $3,185 a month, rent and utilities included.

160

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria, VA
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Alexandria, VA Living Index
153

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

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Alexandria, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,249

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,249 in Alexandria, VA versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL.

Alexandria, VA $3,249
Chicago, IL $3,185

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,722 in Alexandria, VA versus $4,631 in Chicago, IL.

Alexandria, VA $4,722
Chicago, IL $4,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,195 in Alexandria, VA versus $6,077 in Chicago, IL.

Alexandria, VA $6,195
Chicago, IL $6,077

Living in Alexandria, VA is roughly 2% more expensive than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alexandria, VA 141% above, Chicago, IL 136% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.18 $20.18

$21.58 $21.58

-6.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 $103

$88.7 $88.7

16.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.83 $11.83

$13.20 $13.20

-10.38%

Cappuccino

$4.52 $4.52

$5.59 $5.59

-19.14%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$2.63 $2.63

3.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.26 $2.26

-0.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.58 $6.58

$7.11 $7.11

-7.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.86 $8.86

$9.23 $9.23

-4.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.28 $1.28

-7.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 $3.88

$3.84 $3.84

1.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$5.07 $5.07

-25.05%

Eggs

$4.53 $4.53

$4.84 $4.84

-6.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.40 $16.40

$14.17 $14.17

15.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.22 $15.22

$14.61 $14.61

4.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.04 $20.04

$18.76 $18.76

6.82%

Apples (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$5.19 $5.19

17.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 $1.34

$2.00 $2.00

-33.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.55 $7.55

$4.00 $4.00

88.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.84 $7.84

$4.98 $4.98

57.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.79 $2.79

-23.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.65 $2.65

-1.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.13 $2.13

28.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.09 $3.09

-21.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.34 $9.34

$16.05 $16.05

-41.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.35 $14.35

$15.20 $15.20

-5.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.62 $2.62

-33.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.46 $3.46

5.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.47 $2.47

24.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.5 $51.5

$75.1 $75.1

-31.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.21 $3.21

27.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.39 $1.39

42.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.13 $25.13

$25.02 $25.02

0.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.24 $1.24

-17.74%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$37.2K $37.2K

-1.14%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.8K $25.8K

-0.80%

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

$240 $240

$192 $192

25.03%

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

$53.7 $53.7

$67.8 $67.8

-20.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.2 $77.2

$60.9 $60.9

26.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.4 $72.4

$53.6 $53.6

35.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$18.33 $18.33

$17.80 $17.80

2.98%

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

$2,034 $2,034

$1,554 $1,554

30.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$65.5K $65.5K

$31.4K $31.4K

108.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.10 $48.10

$67.9 $67.9

-29.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.90 $47.90

$50.8 $50.8

-5.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$101 $101

19.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$143 $143

-6.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,315 $2,315

$2,383 $2,383

-2.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 $1,737

$1,712 $1,712

1.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 $3,390

$4,674 $4,674

-27.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,776 $2,776

$2,738 $2,738

1.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,743 $6,743

$4,158 $4,158

62.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,049 $4,049

$2,691 $2,691

50.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,951 $5,951

$4,894 $4,894

21.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.77

-1.92%

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

Last update for Alexandria, VA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alexandria, VA

$1.7K 53.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 1.5% $25

Groceries & Markets

Alexandria, VA

$474 14.6%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 4.8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alexandria, VA

$371 11.4%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 13.5% $50

Eating Out

Alexandria, VA

$322 9.9%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 9.7% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Alexandria, VA

$158 4.9%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 3.3% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Alexandria, VA

$109 3.4%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 18.2% $20

Getting Around

Alexandria, VA

$78 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 22.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,315 in Alexandria, VA and $2,383 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alexandria, VA pays 22% 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: $103 in Alexandria, VA vs $89.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $474 vs $451 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alexandria, VA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

13:55 1:55 PM

12:55 12:55 PM

1 h behind Alexandria, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

160,035

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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Highest

Between locations

Alexandria, VA Chicago, IL 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Alexandria, VA
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

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

Alexandria, VA and Chicago, IL differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($3,249 vs $3,185 including rent). Chicago, IL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% higher in Alexandria, VA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,315 in Alexandria, VA versus $2,383 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,249 per month in Alexandria, VA versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chicago, IL runs roughly 46% less than in Alexandria, VA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Chicago, IL is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Chicago, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Alexandria, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.