Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aspen, CO and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,185 a month against $5,138 in Aspen, CO, rent and utilities included – about $23,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

251

Cost of Living Index in Aspen, CO
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Aspen, CO Living Index
153

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

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Aspen, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$5,138

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $5,138 per month in Aspen, CO vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Aspen, CO $5,138
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $7,519 per month in Aspen, CO vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Aspen, CO $7,519
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $9,900 per month in Aspen, CO vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Aspen, CO $9,900
Chicago, IL $6,077

Aspen, CO costs about 61% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Aspen, CO and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Aspen, CO by 281%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.27 $20.27

$21.58 $21.58

-6.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 $79.1

$88.7 $88.7

-10.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.86 $10.86

$13.20 $13.20

-17.73%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$5.59 $5.59

-2.86%

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

$3.59 $3.59

$2.63 $2.63

36.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.26 $2.26

31.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.11 $9.11

$9.23 $9.23

-1.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.28 $1.28

-7.03%

White Bread (500g)

$5.48 $5.48

$3.84 $3.84

42.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.07 $5.07

33.33%

Eggs

$5.58 $5.58

$4.84 $4.84

15.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.68 $11.68

$14.17 $14.17

-17.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.00 $11.00

$14.61 $14.61

-24.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.51 $17.51

$18.76 $18.76

-6.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$5.19 $5.19

14.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.00 $2.00

-27.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$4.00 $4.00

53.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.13 $6.13

$4.98 $4.98

23.09%

Potato (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$2.79 $2.79

41.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.65 $2.65

39.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.13 $2.13

61.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.09 $3.09

-11.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.84 $10.84

$16.05 $16.05

-32.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.19 $17.19

$15.20 $15.20

13.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.62 $2.62

-30.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.46 $3.46

41.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 $91.0

$75.1 $75.1

21.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.21 $3.21

-23.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.39 $1.39

-1.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.95 $23.95

$25.02 $25.02

-4.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.24 $1.24

-17.74%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$37.2K $37.2K

-3.95%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$25.8K $25.8K

-1.50%

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

$149 $149

$192 $192

-22.39%

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

$72.1 $72.1

$67.8 $67.8

6.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.3 $75.3

$60.9 $60.9

23.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$137 $137

$53.6 $53.6

155.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$16.28 $16.28

$17.80 $17.80

-8.54%

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

$1,590 $1,590

$1,554 $1,554

2.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$31.4K $31.4K

-2.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 $70.3

$67.9 $67.9

3.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.77 $48.77

$50.8 $50.8

-3.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.5 $93.5

$101 $101

-7.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$143 $143

-1.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,051 $4,051

$2,383 $2,383

69.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,601 $3,601

$1,712 $1,712

110.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,881 $7,881

$4,674 $4,674

68.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,487 $6,487

$2,738 $2,738

136.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$4,158 $4,158

162.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,649 $7,649

$2,691 $2,691

184.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,976 $4,976

$4,894 $4,894

1.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.77

-3.25%

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

Last update for Aspen, CO: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aspen, CO

$3.6K 70.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 52.5% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Aspen, CO

$472 9.2%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 4.3% $20

Eating Out

Aspen, CO

$340 6.6%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 3.8% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aspen, CO

$297 5.8%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 8.2% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Aspen, CO

$169 3.3%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 47.3% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Aspen, CO

$159 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 2.7% $4.3

Getting Around

Aspen, CO

$100 * 2%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 5.2% $5.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,051 in Aspen, CO versus $2,383 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.

Salaries run about 2% higher in Aspen, CO, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Aspen, CO versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $472 in Aspen, CO vs $451 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Aspen, CO

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

21:25 9:25 PM

22:25 10:25 PM

1 h ahead of Aspen, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,000

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

Aspen, CO Chicago, IL 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Aspen, CO
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

Aspen, CO vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aspen, CO costs about 61% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,707 per month in Aspen, CO and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chicago, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Aspen, CO, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Aspen, CO and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $5,138 in Aspen, CO and $3,185 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chicago, IL costs $3,185 versus $5,138 in Aspen, CO. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Chicago, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aspen, CO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.