Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Anchorage, AK and Chicago, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Anchorage, AK and in Chicago, IL: $3,290 and $3,185 a month, rent and utilities included.

159

Cost of Living Index in Anchorage, AK
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Anchorage, AK Living Index
153

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

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Anchorage, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$3,290

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,290 in Anchorage, AK versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL.

Anchorage, AK $3,290
Chicago, IL $3,185

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,848 in Anchorage, AK versus $4,631 in Chicago, IL.

Anchorage, AK $4,848
Chicago, IL $4,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,406 in Anchorage, AK versus $6,077 in Chicago, IL.

Anchorage, AK $6,406
Chicago, IL $6,077

Living in Anchorage, AK is roughly 3% more expensive than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Anchorage, AK 144% above, Chicago, IL 136% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.72 $24.72

$21.58 $21.58

14.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$88.7 $88.7

12.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.08 $15.08

$13.20 $13.20

14.24%

Cappuccino

$6.74 $6.74

$5.59 $5.59

20.57%

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

$3.24 $3.24

$2.63 $2.63

23.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.26 $2.26

11.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.17 $8.17

$7.11 $7.11

14.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.93 $9.93

$9.23 $9.23

7.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.28 $1.28

-7.03%

White Bread (500g)

$4.80 $4.80

$3.84 $3.84

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.07 $5.07

19.53%

Eggs

$4.25 $4.25

$4.84 $4.84

-12.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.72 $13.72

$14.17 $14.17

-3.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.79 $12.79

$14.61 $14.61

-12.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.40 $21.40

$18.76 $18.76

14.07%

Apples (1kg)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.19 $5.19

57.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.00 $2.00

13.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$4.00 $4.00

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 $6.11

$4.98 $4.98

22.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.79 $2.79

6.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.65 $2.65

19.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.13 $2.13

29.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$3.09 $3.09

-24.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.67 $12.67

$16.05 $16.05

-21.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.76 $17.76

$15.20 $15.20

16.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.62 $2.62

-34.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.46 $3.46

1.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.47 $2.47

-16.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.2 $60.2

$75.1 $75.1

-19.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.21 $3.21

-15.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.39 $1.39

35.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.68 $41.68

$25.02 $25.02

66.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.24 $1.24

0.81%

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

$33.3K $33.3K

$37.2K $37.2K

-10.35%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$25.8K $25.8K

0.72%

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

$413 $413

$192 $192

115.02%

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

$90.3 $90.3

$67.8 $67.8

33.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$139 $139

$60.9 $60.9

128.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.5 $91.5

$53.6 $53.6

70.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.74 $40.74

$27.90 $27.90

46.02%

Cinema Ticket

$14.89 $14.89

$17.80 $17.80

-16.35%

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

$1,238 $1,238

$1,554 $1,554

-20.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K $10.5K

$31.4K $31.4K

-66.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.09 $48.09

$67.9 $67.9

-29.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.27 $45.27

$50.8 $50.8

-10.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$101 $101

11.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$143 $143

-16.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,778 $1,778

$2,383 $2,383

-25.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,408 $1,408

$1,712 $1,712

-17.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,834 $2,834

$4,674 $4,674

-39.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,467 $2,467

$2,738 $2,738

-9.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,985 $3,985

$4,158 $4,158

-4.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,794 $2,794

$2,691 $2,691

3.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,734 $4,734

$4,894 $4,894

-3.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

6.77

-4.14%

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

Last update for Anchorage, AK: 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

Anchorage, AK

$1.4K 42.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 21.6% $304

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Anchorage, AK

$643 19.6%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 50.1% $322

Groceries & Markets

Anchorage, AK

$483 14.7%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 6.6% $32

Eating Out

Anchorage, AK

$408 12.4%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 13.4% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Anchorage, AK

$147 4.5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 11.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Anchorage, AK

$121 3.7%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 26.4% $32

Getting Around

Anchorage, AK

$81 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 18.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,778 in Anchorage, AK and $2,383 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $99.0 in Anchorage, AK vs $89.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $483 vs $451 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Anchorage, AK

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

03:51 3:51 AM

06:51 6:51 AM

3 h ahead of Anchorage, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

289,600

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

Anchorage, AK Chicago, IL 4,560 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Anchorage, AK
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

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

Chicago, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Anchorage, AK. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chicago, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 3% 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: $1,778 in Anchorage, AK versus $2,383 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chicago, IL – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $99.0 in Anchorage, AK. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,290 per month in Anchorage, AK versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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 work as nomad bases, but Chicago, IL delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,185 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chicago, IL hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Chicago, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Anchorage, AK. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.