Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,317 in Ashburn, VA, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Ashburn, VA
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Ashburn, VA Living Index
147

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

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Ashburn, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,317

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,317 in Ashburn, VA versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL.

Ashburn, VA $3,317
Chicago, IL $3,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,512 in Ashburn, VA versus $4,518 in Chicago, IL.

Ashburn, VA $4,512
Chicago, IL $4,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,708 in Ashburn, VA versus $5,999 in Chicago, IL.

Ashburn, VA $5,708
Chicago, IL $5,999

Living in Ashburn, VA is roughly 9% 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: Ashburn, VA 144% above, Chicago, IL 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.82 $24.82

$20.71 $20.71

19.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$89.2 $89.2

1.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.86 $12.86

$13.19 $13.19

-2.50%

Cappuccino

$6.06 $6.06

$5.66 $5.66

7.07%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$2.64 $2.64

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.28 $2.28

12.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$6.87 $6.87

17.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.93 $9.93

$8.84 $8.84

12.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.25 $1.25

-5.60%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.72 $3.72

7.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$5.39 $5.39

-1.48%

Eggs

$5.53 $5.53

$4.74 $4.74

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.28 $17.28

$13.84 $13.84

24.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.58 $15.58

$14.40 $14.40

8.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.85 $18.85

$18.38 $18.38

2.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$5.22 $5.22

3.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.98 $1.98

18.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.43 $6.43

$4.06 $4.06

58.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$4.97 $4.97

18.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.67 $2.67

5.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$2.66 $2.66

41.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.24 $2.24

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.13 $3.13

-12.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.64 $9.64

$13.82 $13.82

-30.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.74 $15.74

$14.88 $14.88

5.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.54 $2.54

-11.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.51 $3.51

29.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.43 $2.43

-5.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.7 $70.7

$73.5 $73.5

-3.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.18 $3.18

-8.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.39 $1.39

6.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.07 $22.07

$25.03 $25.03

-11.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.20 $1.20

-15.83%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

1.31%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.7K $26.7K

-4.85%

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

$165 $165

$194 $194

-15.20%

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

$66.5 $66.5

$69.5 $69.5

-4.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.0 $78.0

$61.6 $61.6

26.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 $61.1

$47.90 $47.90

27.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.98 $11.98

$27.34 $27.34

-56.18%

Cinema Ticket

$18.19 $18.19

$17.81 $17.81

2.13%

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

$1,610 $1,610

$1,794 $1,794

-10.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.7K $32.7K

$31.9K $31.9K

2.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 $53.8

$67.0 $67.0

-19.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.28 $43.28

$52.1 $52.1

-16.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 $99.5

$102 $102

-2.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$144 $144

-13.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,010 $2,010

$2,526 $2,526

-20.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 $1,795

$1,578 $1,578

13.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,037 $4,037

$4,738 $4,738

-14.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,250 $2,250

$2,693 $2,693

-16.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,996 $2,996

$4,190 $4,190

-28.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,103 $3,103

$2,768 $2,768

12.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,539 $7,539

$4,931 $4,931

52.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.81

0.15%

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

Last update for Ashburn, VA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ashburn, VA

$1.8K 54.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 12.1% $217

Groceries & Markets

Ashburn, VA

$488 14.7%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 8.4% $41

Eating Out

Ashburn, VA

$392 11.8%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 12.1% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashburn, VA

$309 9.3%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 5.2% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Ashburn, VA

$144 4.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 13.8% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Ashburn, VA

$97 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 14.3% $14

Getting Around

Ashburn, VA

$90 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 3.5% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,010 in Ashburn, VA and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashburn, VA pays 53% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $90 in Ashburn, VA vs $89 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $488 vs $447 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ashburn, VA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

13:45 1:45 PM

12:45 12:45 PM

1 h behind Ashburn, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,511

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ashburn, VA Chicago, IL 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ashburn, 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

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

Ashburn, VA and Chicago, IL differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($3,317 vs $3,037 including rent). Chicago, IL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 53% higher in Ashburn, 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: $2,010 in Ashburn, VA versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,610 in Ashburn, VA versus $1,794 in Chicago, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Ashburn, VA runs roughly 4% less than in Chicago, IL. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Chicago, IL wins on affordability, Ashburn, VA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.