Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethel, AK and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Bethel, AK: $2,651 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Bethel, AK
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Bethel, AK Living Index
147

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

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Bethel, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,651

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,651 in Bethel, AK versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL.

Bethel, AK $2,651
Chicago, IL $3,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,886 in Bethel, AK versus $4,518 in Chicago, IL.

Bethel, AK $3,886
Chicago, IL $4,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,121 in Bethel, AK versus $5,999 in Chicago, IL.

Bethel, AK $5,121
Chicago, IL $5,999

Living in Bethel, AK costs roughly 13% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bethel, AK 95% above, Chicago, IL 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.21 $20.21

$20.71 $20.71

-2.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.7 $75.7

$89.2 $89.2

-15.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.47 $11.47

$13.19 $13.19

-13.04%

Cappuccino

$5.30 $5.30

$5.66 $5.66

-6.36%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.64 $2.64

3.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.28 $2.28

-14.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 $6.02

$6.87 $6.87

-12.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 $7.40

$8.84 $8.84

-16.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.25 $1.25

-19.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.72 $3.72

-5.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$5.39 $5.39

-20.78%

Eggs

$4.29 $4.29

$4.74 $4.74

-9.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 $12.33

$13.84 $13.84

-10.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.41 $11.41

$14.40 $14.40

-20.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 $17.34

$18.38 $18.38

-5.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.22 $5.22

-4.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.98 $1.98

-17.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$4.06 $4.06

8.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$4.97 $4.97

-7.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.67 $2.67

4.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.66 $2.66

10.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.24 $2.24

-6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$3.13 $3.13

-26.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.98 $9.98

$13.82 $13.82

-27.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 $14.84

$14.88 $14.88

-0.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.54 $2.54

-24.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.51 $3.51

-6.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.43 $2.43

-19.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.2 $63.2

$73.5 $73.5

-14.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.18 $3.18

-1.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.39 $1.39

26.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.48 $29.48

$25.03 $25.03

17.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.20 $1.20

-15.00%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.76%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.88%

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

$196 $196

$194 $194

0.82%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$69.5 $69.5

-15.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.8 $70.8

$61.6 $61.6

14.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.45 $42.45

$47.90 $47.90

-11.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 $13.96

$17.81 $17.81

-21.62%

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

$1,425 $1,425

$1,794 $1,794

-20.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$31.9K $31.9K

-26.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$67.0 $67.0

-20.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 $41.55

$52.1 $52.1

-20.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 $89.3

$102 $102

-12.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$144 $144

-19.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 $1,584

$2,526 $2,526

-37.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,578 $1,578

-16.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 $2,537

$4,738 $4,738

-46.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$2,693 $2,693

-18.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,740 $2,740

$4,190 $4,190

-34.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 $2,372

$2,768 $2,768

-14.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.81

-3.52%

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

Last update for Bethel, AK: 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

Bethel, AK

$1.3K 49.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 19.9% $262

Groceries & Markets

Bethel, AK

$397 15%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 12.7% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bethel, AK

$326 12.3%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 0.1% $0.2

Eating Out

Bethel, AK

$323 12.2%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 6.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Bethel, AK

$135 5.1%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 21.6% $29

Getting Around

Bethel, AK

$83 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 12.6% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Bethel, AK

$70 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 18.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,584 in Bethel, AK and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76 in Bethel, AK vs $89 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 vs $447 per month, with Bethel, AK cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bethel, AK

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

06:10 6:10 AM

09:10 9:10 AM

3 h ahead of Bethel, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,300

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bethel, AK Chicago, IL 5,230 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Bethel, AK
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

Bethel, AK vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bethel, AK and Chicago, IL differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($2,651 vs $3,037 including rent). Bethel, AK is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,976 in Bethel, AK and $4,555 in Chicago, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,584 in Bethel, AK versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,651 per month in Bethel, AK versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bethel, AK runs roughly 14% less than in Chicago, IL. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $2,651 in Bethel, AK versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bethel, AK but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Bethel, AK the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Bethel, AK gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.