Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Avondale, AZ and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Avondale, AZ: $2,723 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Avondale, AZ
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Avondale, AZ Living Index
152

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

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Avondale, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,723

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,723 per month in Avondale, AZ vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Avondale, AZ $2,723
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,861 per month in Avondale, AZ vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Avondale, AZ $3,861
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,000 per month in Avondale, AZ vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Avondale, AZ $5,000
Chicago, IL $6,115

Avondale, AZ is about 13% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Avondale, AZ and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Avondale, AZ by 101%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.80 $19.80

$20.65 $20.65

-4.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 $79.3

$90.2 $90.2

-12.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.03 $13.03

$12.94 $12.94

0.70%

Cappuccino

$5.33 $5.33

$5.60 $5.60

-4.82%

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

$2.80 $2.80

$2.64 $2.64

6.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.27 $2.27

-0.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 $5.88

$6.98 $6.98

-15.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.44 $7.44

$8.83 $8.83

-15.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.27 $1.27

-33.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.80 $3.80

-11.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$5.30 $5.30

-5.85%

Eggs

$4.40 $4.40

$4.76 $4.76

-7.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.66 $13.66

$13.96 $13.96

-2.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.43 $13.43

$14.61 $14.61

-8.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.56 $16.56

$18.77 $18.77

-11.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$5.19 $5.19

-11.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.98 $1.98

-2.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.93 $3.93

4.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$4.96 $4.96

-13.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.76 $2.76

-2.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.76 $2.76

0.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.22 $2.22

-4.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.98 $2.98

-30.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.85 $10.85

$14.02 $14.02

-22.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.46 $13.46

$15.28 $15.28

-11.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.58 $2.58

-6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.50 $3.50

6.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.47 $2.47

-8.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.34 $3.34

-15.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.43 $1.43

-4.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.23 $36.23

$24.32 $24.32

48.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.26 $1.26

-1.59%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$35.0K $35.0K

5.16%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.1K $26.1K

0.58%

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

$199 $199

$193 $193

3.29%

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

$60.9 $60.9

$68.3 $68.3

-10.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.4 $73.4

$61.3 $61.3

19.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.10 $36.10

$54.1 $54.1

-33.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.31 $31.31

$27.92 $27.92

12.14%

Cinema Ticket

$12.85 $12.85

$17.74 $17.74

-27.56%

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

$1,078 $1,078

$1,652 $1,652

-34.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K $15.9K

$31.1K $31.1K

-48.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 $55.6

$66.1 $66.1

-15.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.96 $43.96

$51.2 $51.2

-14.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 $97.5

$100 $100

-2.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$141 $141

-17.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 $1,591

$2,446 $2,446

-34.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 $1,439

$1,678 $1,678

-14.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,462 $2,462

$4,717 $4,717

-47.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,118 $2,118

$2,795 $2,795

-24.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,715 $2,715

$4,105 $4,105

-33.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,541 $2,541

$2,650 $2,650

-4.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,822 $3,822

$4,866 $4,866

-21.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

6.81

-5.43%

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

Last update for Avondale, AZ: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Avondale, AZ

$1.4K 52.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 16.6% $239

Groceries & Markets

Avondale, AZ

$404 14.8%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 11.4% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Avondale, AZ

$333 12.2%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 3.3% $11

Eating Out

Avondale, AZ

$326 12%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 5.4% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Avondale, AZ

$141 5.2%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 14.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Avondale, AZ

$62 2.3%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 45% $28

Getting Around

Avondale, AZ

$19 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 410% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,591 in Avondale, AZ 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.

Salaries run about 27% higher in Chicago, IL, 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 Avondale, AZ versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $404 vs $449 – making Avondale, AZ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Avondale, AZ

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

00:22 12:22 AM

2 h ahead of Avondale, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,392

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

Avondale, AZ Chicago, IL 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Avondale, AZ
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

Avondale, AZ vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL costs about 15% more than Avondale, AZ, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,084 per month in Avondale, AZ 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 Avondale, AZ, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,723 in Avondale, AZ and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. That's a gap of about 15%.

Kindergarten costs $1,078 per month in Avondale, AZ and $1,652 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,723 in Avondale, AZ 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. Avondale, AZ costs $2,723 versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Avondale, AZ. 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.