Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Asheville, NC and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Asheville, NC: $2,909 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Asheville, NC
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Asheville, NC Living Index
147

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

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Asheville, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,909

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,909 in Asheville, NC versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL.

Asheville, NC $2,909
Chicago, IL $3,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,142 in Asheville, NC versus $4,518 in Chicago, IL.

Asheville, NC $4,142
Chicago, IL $4,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,375 in Asheville, NC versus $5,999 in Chicago, IL.

Asheville, NC $5,375
Chicago, IL $5,999

Living in Asheville, NC costs roughly 4% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Asheville, NC 114% above, Chicago, IL 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.30 $21.30

$20.71 $20.71

2.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.2 $99.2

$89.2 $89.2

11.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.07 $11.07

$13.19 $13.19

-16.07%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.66 $5.66

2.12%

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

$2.46 $2.46

$2.64 $2.64

-6.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.28 $2.28

-14.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.87 $6.87

1.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$8.84 $8.84

4.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.25 $1.25

-4.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.72 $3.72

19.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$5.39 $5.39

-20.59%

Eggs

$3.96 $3.96

$4.74 $4.74

-16.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.62 $16.62

$13.84 $13.84

20.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.60 $13.60

$14.40 $14.40

-5.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.14 $15.14

$18.38 $18.38

-17.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 $4.11

$5.22 $5.22

-21.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.98 $1.98

-22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$4.06 $4.06

-1.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$4.97 $4.97

-8.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.67 $2.67

-14.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.66 $2.66

5.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.24 $2.24

10.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$3.13 $3.13

-32.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.50 $8.50

$13.82 $13.82

-38.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 $14.80

$14.88 $14.88

-0.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.54 $2.54

-31.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.26 $5.26

$3.51 $3.51

49.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.43 $2.43

-57.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.17 $20.17

$73.5 $73.5

-72.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.18 $3.18

43.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 $3.19

$1.39 $1.39

129.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.82 $34.82

$25.03 $25.03

39.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.20 $1.20

-21.67%

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

$28.9K $28.9K

$35.0K $35.0K

-17.54%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.34%

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

$183 $183

$194 $194

-5.71%

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

$64.1 $64.1

$69.5 $69.5

-7.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$107 $107

$61.6 $61.6

73.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.23 $35.23

$47.90 $47.90

-26.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.99 $18.99

$27.34 $27.34

-30.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.36 $11.36

$17.81 $17.81

-36.22%

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

$2,606 $2,606

$1,794 $1,794

45.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$54.5K $54.5K

$31.9K $31.9K

70.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.0 $65.0

$67.0 $67.0

-3.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 $49.68

$52.1 $52.1

-4.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

0.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 $160

$144 $144

11.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,770 $1,770

$2,526 $2,526

-29.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 $1,521

$1,578 $1,578

-3.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,975 $2,975

$4,738 $4,738

-37.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 $2,207

$2,693 $2,693

-18.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,689 $4,689

$4,190 $4,190

11.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,245 $3,245

$2,768 $2,768

17.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,770 $3,770

$4,931 $4,931

-23.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

6.81

-8.96%

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

Last update for Asheville, NC: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Asheville, NC

$1.5K 52.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 3.8% $58

Groceries & Markets

Asheville, NC

$418 14.4%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 7.1% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Asheville, NC

$355 12.2%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 8.2% $29

Eating Out

Asheville, NC

$344 11.8%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 0.3% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Asheville, NC

$169 5.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 3.2% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Asheville, NC

$58 2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 44.1% $26

Getting Around

Asheville, NC

$45 1.5%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 109% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,770 in Asheville, NC and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 31% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Asheville, NC vs $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $418 vs $447, with Asheville, NC cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Asheville, NC

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

18:22 6:22 PM

17:22 5:22 PM

1 h behind Asheville, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,789

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

Asheville, NC Chicago, IL 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Asheville, NC
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

Asheville, NC vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,909 in Asheville, NC and $3,037 in Chicago, IL, so Asheville, NC is about 4% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Asheville, NC. 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: $1,770 in Asheville, NC versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Asheville, NC runs roughly 73% less than in Chicago, IL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $2,606 in Asheville, NC versus $1,794 in Chicago, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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 – Asheville, NC wins on affordability, Chicago, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.