Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bentonville, AR and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Bentonville, AR: $2,339 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Bentonville, AR
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Bentonville, AR Living Index
147

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

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Bentonville, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,339

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,339 per month in Bentonville, AR vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bentonville, AR $2,339
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,372 per month in Bentonville, AR vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bentonville, AR $3,372
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,406 per month in Bentonville, AR vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bentonville, AR $4,406
Chicago, IL $5,999

Bentonville, AR is about 23% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bentonville, AR and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Bentonville, AR by 72%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.48 $20.48

$20.71 $20.71

-1.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 $59.8

$89.2 $89.2

-33.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.48 $12.48

$13.19 $13.19

-5.38%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$5.66 $5.66

-4.06%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$2.64 $2.64

-5.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.28 $2.28

-22.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 $6.37

$6.87 $6.87

-7.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.65 $7.65

$8.84 $8.84

-13.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.25 $1.25

-16.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.72 $3.72

-22.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$5.39 $5.39

-18.92%

Eggs

$3.88 $3.88

$4.74 $4.74

-18.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 $9.06

$13.84 $13.84

-34.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$14.40 $14.40

-34.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.54 $13.54

$18.38 $18.38

-26.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$5.22 $5.22

-20.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.98 $1.98

-35.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$4.06 $4.06

-20.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$4.97 $4.97

-48.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.67 $2.67

-34.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.66 $2.66

-18.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.24 $2.24

-18.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$3.13 $3.13

-32.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.22 $8.22

$13.82 $13.82

-40.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.97 $11.97

$14.88 $14.88

-19.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.54 $2.54

-27.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.51 $3.51

-13.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.18 $3.18

-20.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.39 $1.39

-9.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.6 $60.6

$25.03 $25.03

142.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.20 $1.20

-23.33%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$35.0K $35.0K

-17.91%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.7K $26.7K

-3.62%

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

$191 $191

$194 $194

-1.76%

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

$51.1 $51.1

$69.5 $69.5

-26.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 $63.4

$61.6 $61.6

2.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.57 $21.57

$47.90 $47.90

-54.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.13 $5.13

$27.34 $27.34

-81.24%

Cinema Ticket

$15.17 $15.17

$17.81 $17.81

-14.82%

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

$1,150 $1,150

$1,794 $1,794

-35.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K $21.1K

$31.9K $31.9K

-34.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.79 $46.79

$67.0 $67.0

-30.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.98 $38.98

$52.1 $52.1

-25.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 $66.0

$102 $102

-35.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.8 $76.8

$144 $144

-46.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,632 $1,632

$2,526 $2,526

-35.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 $1,217

$1,578 $1,578

-22.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,224 $3,224

$4,738 $4,738

-31.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 $1,992

$2,693 $2,693

-26.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,211 $5,211

$4,190 $4,190

24.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,259 $2,259

$2,768 $2,768

-18.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,617 $5,617

$4,931 $4,931

13.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.81

-3.67%

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

Last update for Bentonville, AR: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bentonville, AR

$1.2K 52%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 29.7% $361

Eating Out

Bentonville, AR

$331 14.1%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 4.3% $14

Groceries & Markets

Bentonville, AR

$323 13.8%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 38.6% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bentonville, AR

$305 13.1%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 6.6% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Bentonville, AR

$103 4.4%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 59.4% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Bentonville, AR

$52 2.2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 60.9% $32

Getting Around

Bentonville, AR

$8.8 * 0.4%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 960% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,632 in Bentonville, AR versus $2,526 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 14% higher in Bentonville, AR, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Bentonville, AR versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $447 – making Bentonville, AR the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bentonville, AR

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

17:13 5:13 PM

Same time as Bentonville, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,164

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bentonville, AR Chicago, IL 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bentonville, AR
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

Bentonville, AR vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,339 in Bentonville, AR, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Bentonville, AR comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,508 per month in Bentonville, AR and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bentonville, AR, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,632 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,339 in Bentonville, AR and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. That makes Bentonville, AR about 23% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,150 per month in Bentonville, AR and $1,794 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Bentonville, AR, where all-in costs run around $2,339, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Bentonville, AR it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bentonville, AR – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.