Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Aurora, CO and in Chicago, IL: $3,204 and $3,139 a month, rent and utilities included.

156

Cost of Living Index in Aurora, CO
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Aurora, CO Living Index
152

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

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Aurora, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,204

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,204 in Aurora, CO versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL.

Aurora, CO $3,204
Chicago, IL $3,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,519 in Aurora, CO versus $4,627 in Chicago, IL.

Aurora, CO $4,519
Chicago, IL $4,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,834 in Aurora, CO versus $6,115 in Chicago, IL.

Aurora, CO $5,834
Chicago, IL $6,115

Living in Aurora, CO is roughly 2% more expensive than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Aurora, CO 136% above, Chicago, IL 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 $30.59

$20.65 $20.65

48.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 $67.1

$90.2 $90.2

-25.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.81 $12.81

$12.94 $12.94

-1.00%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$5.60 $5.60

3.04%

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

$2.77 $2.77

$2.64 $2.64

4.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.27 $2.27

-3.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$6.98 $6.98

-27.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 $6.09

$8.83 $8.83

-31.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.27 $1.27

4.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 $3.00

$3.80 $3.80

-21.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$5.30 $5.30

-43.21%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$4.76 $4.76

-8.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 $12.05

$13.96 $13.96

-13.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$14.61 $14.61

-35.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 $14.32

$18.77 $18.77

-23.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$5.19 $5.19

-10.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.98 $1.98

-23.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.93 $3.93

-24.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$4.96 $4.96

-10.89%

Potato (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$2.76 $2.76

101.09%

Onion (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.76 $2.76

45.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.22 $2.22

-8.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.98 $2.98

32.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.16 $10.16

$14.02 $14.02

-27.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.58 $2.58

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.47 $2.47

24.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$178 $178

$74.8 $74.8

138.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.26 $1.26

-20.63%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-18.82%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$26.1K $26.1K

3.60%

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

$160 $160

$193 $193

-17.14%

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

$80.7 $80.7

$68.3 $68.3

18.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 $52.6

$61.3 $61.3

-14.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.42 $24.42

$54.1 $54.1

-54.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.11 $10.11

$27.92 $27.92

-63.79%

Cinema Ticket

$18.14 $18.14

$17.74 $17.74

2.25%

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

$1,154 $1,154

$1,652 $1,652

-30.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K $30.1K

$31.1K $31.1K

-3.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 $58.1

$66.1 $66.1

-12.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.56 $49.56

$51.2 $51.2

-3.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$100 $100

2.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$141 $141

-17.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,913 $1,913

$2,446 $2,446

-21.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 $1,749

$1,678 $1,678

4.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,193 $3,193

$4,717 $4,717

-32.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 $2,603

$2,795 $2,795

-6.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,322 $3,322

$4,105 $4,105

-19.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,930 $2,930

$2,650 $2,650

10.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,149 $4,149

$4,866 $4,866

-14.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.26

6.81

-8.08%

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

Last update for Aurora, CO: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aurora, CO

$1.7K 54.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 4.1% $72

Eating Out

Aurora, CO

$410 12.8%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 16.2% $66

Groceries & Markets

Aurora, CO

$354 * 11.1%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 27% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aurora, CO

$293 9.1%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 10% $29

Getting Around

Aurora, CO

$191 * 6%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 50.1% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Aurora, CO

$147 4.6%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 10% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Aurora, CO

$61 1.9%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 47.6% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,913 in Aurora, CO and $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Aurora, CO vs $90.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $449 per month, with Aurora, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Aurora, CO

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

01:36 1:36 AM

02:36 2:36 AM

1 h ahead of Aurora, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

180,542

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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Between locations

Aurora, CO Chicago, IL 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Aurora, 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

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

Chicago, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Aurora, CO. 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 17% 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: $1,913 in Aurora, CO versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Aurora, CO pay roughly 27% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Chicago, IL – a meal for two runs $90.0 versus $67.0 in Aurora, CO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 $3,139 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 2% less than in Aurora, CO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.