Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashland, WI and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Ashland, WI: $2,514 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Ashland, WI
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Ashland, WI Living Index
152

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

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Ashland, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,514

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,514 per month in Ashland, WI vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Ashland, WI $2,514
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,751 per month in Ashland, WI vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Ashland, WI $3,751
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,988 per month in Ashland, WI vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Ashland, WI $4,988
Chicago, IL $6,115

Ashland, WI is about 20% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ashland, WI and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Ashland, WI by 86%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.40 $15.40

$20.65 $20.65

-25.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 $67.8

$90.2 $90.2

-24.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.99 $9.99

$12.94 $12.94

-22.80%

Cappuccino

$5.21 $5.21

$5.60 $5.60

-6.96%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$2.64 $2.64

14.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.27 $2.27

15.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$6.98 $6.98

-15.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.67 $7.67

$8.83 $8.83

-13.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.27 $1.27

-29.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 $3.95

$3.80 $3.80

3.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$5.30 $5.30

-34.34%

Eggs

$3.07 $3.07

$4.76 $4.76

-35.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.84 $9.84

$13.96 $13.96

-29.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 $9.54

$14.61 $14.61

-34.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.52 $13.52

$18.77 $18.77

-27.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$5.19 $5.19

-6.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.98 $1.98

-43.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.18 $6.18

$3.93 $3.93

57.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$4.96 $4.96

1.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.76 $2.76

38.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.76 $2.76

27.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.22 $2.22

-10.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.98 $2.98

-40.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.99 $12.99

$14.02 $14.02

-7.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.59 $14.59

$15.28 $15.28

-4.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.58 $2.58

-34.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.50 $3.50

1.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.47 $2.47

-28.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.34 $3.34

-25.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.43 $1.43

5.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.58 $30.58

$24.32 $24.32

25.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.26 $1.26

-18.25%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.08%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.1K $26.1K

1.16%

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

$232 $232

$193 $193

20.58%

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

$51.2 $51.2

$68.3 $68.3

-24.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.6 $64.6

$61.3 $61.3

5.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.22 $41.22

$54.1 $54.1

-23.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$12.94 $12.94

$17.74 $17.74

-27.06%

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

$1,451 $1,451

$1,652 $1,652

-12.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.5K $27.5K

$31.1K $31.1K

-11.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.18 $42.18

$66.1 $66.1

-36.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.12 $40.12

$51.2 $51.2

-21.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 $79.8

$100 $100

-20.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$141 $141

-21.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 $1,802

$2,446 $2,446

-26.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 $1,310

$1,678 $1,678

-21.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,314 $2,314

$4,717 $4,717

-50.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,404 $2,404

$2,795 $2,795

-14.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,475 $2,475

$4,105 $4,105

-39.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,127 $2,127

$2,650 $2,650

-19.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

6.81

-7.34%

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

Last update for Ashland, WI: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ashland, WI

$1.3K 52.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 28.1% $368

Groceries & Markets

Ashland, WI

$365 14.5%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 23% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashland, WI

$348 13.9%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 7.4% $26

Eating Out

Ashland, WI

$283 11.3%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 21.3% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Ashland, WI

$123 4.9%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 31.2% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Ashland, WI

$67 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 33.5% $22

Getting Around

Ashland, WI

$17 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 456% $78

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,802 in Ashland, WI 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Ashland, WI versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $449 – making Ashland, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ashland, WI

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

23:48 11:48 PM

Same time as Ashland, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,684

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ashland, WI Chicago, IL 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ashland, WI
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

Ashland, WI vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL costs about 25% more than Ashland, WI, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,771 per month in Ashland, WI 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 Ashland, WI, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Ashland, WI and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,514 in Ashland, WI and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ashland, WI costs $2,514 versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ashland, WI. 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.