Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barnstable, MA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Barnstable, MA: $2,398 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Barnstable, MA
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Barnstable, MA Living Index
152

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

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Barnstable, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,398

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,398 in Barnstable, MA versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL.

Barnstable, MA $2,398
Chicago, IL $3,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,546 in Barnstable, MA versus $4,627 in Chicago, IL.

Barnstable, MA $3,546
Chicago, IL $4,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,695 in Barnstable, MA versus $6,115 in Chicago, IL.

Barnstable, MA $4,695
Chicago, IL $6,115

Living in Barnstable, MA costs roughly 24% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barnstable, MA 77% above, Chicago, IL 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.23 $18.23

$20.65 $20.65

-11.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.0 $74.0

$90.2 $90.2

-18.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.08 $10.08

$12.94 $12.94

-22.10%

Cappuccino

$3.98 $3.98

$5.60 $5.60

-28.93%

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

$2.12 $2.12

$2.64 $2.64

-19.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.27 $2.27

-26.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 $5.15

$6.98 $6.98

-26.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 $6.88

$8.83 $8.83

-22.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.27 $1.27

-18.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.80 $3.80

-19.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$5.30 $5.30

-22.64%

Eggs

$4.12 $4.12

$4.76 $4.76

-13.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.43 $6.43

$13.96 $13.96

-53.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 $8.68

$14.61 $14.61

-40.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.65 $8.65

$18.77 $18.77

-53.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$5.19 $5.19

-20.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.98 $1.98

-9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$3.93 $3.93

13.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$4.96 $4.96

-27.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.76 $2.76

-19.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.76 $2.76

-22.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.22 $2.22

-13.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.98 $2.98

-18.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$14.02 $14.02

-13.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.75 $12.75

$15.28 $15.28

-16.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.58 $2.58

-15.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.50 $3.50

14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.47 $2.47

-21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.68 $34.68

$74.8 $74.8

-53.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.34 $3.34

1.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.43 $1.43

162.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.52 $25.52

$24.32 $24.32

4.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.26 $1.26

-18.25%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.94%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$26.1K $26.1K

-6.55%

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

$101 $101

$193 $193

-47.55%

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

$60.7 $60.7

$68.3 $68.3

-11.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.8 $63.8

$61.3 $61.3

4.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.77 $41.77

$54.1 $54.1

-22.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.38 $24.38

$27.92 $27.92

-12.68%

Cinema Ticket

$13.74 $13.74

$17.74 $17.74

-22.55%

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

$1,833 $1,833

$1,652 $1,652

10.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K $29.7K

$31.1K $31.1K

-4.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 $55.9

$66.1 $66.1

-15.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.94 $37.94

$51.2 $51.2

-25.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 $80.0

$100 $100

-20.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.5 $99.5

$141 $141

-29.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 $1,579

$2,446 $2,446

-35.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,315 $1,315

$1,678 $1,678

-21.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,496 $2,496

$4,717 $4,717

-47.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,179 $2,179

$2,795 $2,795

-22.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,718 $2,718

$4,105 $4,105

-33.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,379 $2,379

$2,650 $2,650

-10.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,584 $4,584

$4,866 $4,866

-5.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.81

-2.50%

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

Last update for Barnstable, MA: 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

Barnstable, MA

$1.3K 54.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 27.6% $363

Groceries & Markets

Barnstable, MA

$322 13.4%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 39.5% $127

Eating Out

Barnstable, MA

$278 11.6%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 23.3% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barnstable, MA

$226 9.4%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 42.9% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Barnstable, MA

$123 5.1%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 31.1% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Barnstable, MA

$69 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 29.4% $20

Getting Around

Barnstable, MA

$65 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 47.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barnstable, MA and $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 6% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74.0 in Barnstable, MA vs $90.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $449 per month, with Barnstable, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Barnstable, MA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

00:35 12:35 AM

23:35 11:35 PM

1 h behind Barnstable, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,000

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

Barnstable, MA Chicago, IL 1,430 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Barnstable, MA
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

Barnstable, MA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barnstable, MA and Chicago, IL differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($2,398 vs $3,139 including rent). Barnstable, MA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% 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: $1,579 in Barnstable, MA versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Barnstable, MA runs roughly 116% less than in Chicago, IL. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,833 in Barnstable, MA versus $1,652 in Chicago, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barnstable, MA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Barnstable, MA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.