Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bay Minette, AL and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Bay Minette, AL: $2,569 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Bay Minette, AL
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Bay Minette, AL Living Index
153

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

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Bay Minette, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,569

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,569 in Bay Minette, AL versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL.

Bay Minette, AL $2,569
Chicago, IL $3,185

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,606 in Bay Minette, AL versus $4,631 in Chicago, IL.

Bay Minette, AL $3,606
Chicago, IL $4,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,642 in Bay Minette, AL versus $6,077 in Chicago, IL.

Bay Minette, AL $4,642
Chicago, IL $6,077

Living in Bay Minette, AL costs roughly 19% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bay Minette, AL 90% above, Chicago, IL 136% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.16 $16.16

$21.58 $21.58

-25.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.29 $44.29

$88.7 $88.7

-50.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.85 $11.85

$13.20 $13.20

-10.23%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.59 $5.59

-1.97%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$2.63 $2.63

-3.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 $0.78

$2.26 $2.26

-65.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 $6.02

$7.11 $7.11

-15.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 $8.14

$9.23 $9.23

-11.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.28 $1.28

7.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.84 $3.84

-29.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$5.07 $5.07

-35.31%

Eggs

$5.50 $5.50

$4.84 $4.84

13.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.75 $7.75

$14.17 $14.17

-45.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 $9.08

$14.61 $14.61

-37.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.71 $15.71

$18.76 $18.76

-16.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$5.19 $5.19

-42.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.00 $2.00

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$4.00 $4.00

29.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$4.98 $4.98

11.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.79 $2.79

-22.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.65 $2.65

-38.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.13 $2.13

5.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.09 $3.09

-14.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.82 $8.82

$16.05 $16.05

-45.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.03 $17.03

$15.20 $15.20

12.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.62 $2.62

-6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.46 $3.46

10.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.47 $2.47

-11.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.21 $3.21

6.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.39 $1.39

4.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.47 $35.47

$25.02 $25.02

41.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.24 $1.24

-19.35%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$37.2K $37.2K

-3.83%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$25.8K $25.8K

-1.95%

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

$256 $256

$192 $192

33.31%

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

$72.2 $72.2

$67.8 $67.8

6.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.0 $73.0

$60.9 $60.9

19.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.40 $36.40

$53.6 $53.6

-32.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$12.40 $12.40

$17.80 $17.80

-30.34%

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

$1,535 $1,535

$1,554 $1,554

-1.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K $10.1K

$31.4K $31.4K

-67.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.63 $40.63

$67.9 $67.9

-40.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.28 $43.28

$50.8 $50.8

-14.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 $74.2

$101 $101

-26.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 $90.4

$143 $143

-36.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$888 $888

$2,383 $2,383

-62.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,712 $1,712

-23.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,461 $2,461

$4,674 $4,674

-47.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,115 $2,115

$2,738 $2,738

-22.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,571 $2,571

$4,158 $4,158

-38.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,748 $2,748

$2,691 $2,691

2.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,223 $2,223

$4,894 $4,894

-54.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.77

-1.62%

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

Last update for Bay Minette, AL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bay Minette, AL

$1.3K 51.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 30.1% $396

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bay Minette, AL

$402 15.6%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 20.1% $81

Groceries & Markets

Bay Minette, AL

$369 14.4%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 22.3% $82

Eating Out

Bay Minette, AL

$290 11.3%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 21.6% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Bay Minette, AL

$112 4.4%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 46.3% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Bay Minette, AL

$61 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 45.7% $28

Getting Around

Bay Minette, AL

$19 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 391% $76

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 $888 in Bay Minette, AL and $2,383 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 120% 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: $44.00 in Bay Minette, AL vs $89.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $369 vs $451 per month, with Bay Minette, AL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bay Minette, AL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

13:32 1:32 PM

Same time as Bay Minette, AL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

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

Bay Minette, AL Chicago, IL 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Bay Minette, AL
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

Bay Minette, AL vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bay Minette, AL is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 120% 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: $888 in Bay Minette, AL versus $2,383 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,535 in Bay Minette, AL versus $1,554 in Chicago, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bay Minette, AL – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,569 in Bay Minette, AL versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Bay Minette, AL but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Bay Minette, AL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bay Minette, AL is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chicago, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Bay Minette, AL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.