Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Blacksburg, VA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Blacksburg, VA: $1,992 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Blacksburg, VA
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Blacksburg, VA Living Index
152

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

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Blacksburg, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,992

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,992 per month in Blacksburg, VA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Blacksburg, VA $1,992
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,107 per month in Blacksburg, VA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Blacksburg, VA $3,107
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,223 per month in Blacksburg, VA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Blacksburg, VA $4,223
Chicago, IL $6,115

Blacksburg, VA is about 37% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Blacksburg, VA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Blacksburg, VA by 47%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.94 $16.94

$20.65 $20.65

-17.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 $65.8

$90.2 $90.2

-27.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.41 $8.41

$12.94 $12.94

-35.01%

Cappuccino

$4.89 $4.89

$5.60 $5.60

-12.68%

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

$2.84 $2.84

$2.64 $2.64

7.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.27 $2.27

-9.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$6.98 $6.98

-15.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 $6.79

$8.83 $8.83

-23.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.27 $1.27

-25.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.80 $3.80

-17.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$5.30 $5.30

-43.21%

Eggs

$4.49 $4.49

$4.76 $4.76

-5.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.81 $14.81

$13.96 $13.96

6.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.89 $9.89

$14.61 $14.61

-32.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.17 $10.17

$18.77 $18.77

-45.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.19 $5.19

-0.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.98 $1.98

-35.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.93 $3.93

10.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$4.96 $4.96

-4.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.76 $2.76

-10.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.76 $2.76

-24.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.22 $2.22

-8.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.98 $2.98

-55.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.84 $8.84

$14.02 $14.02

-36.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.21 $15.21

$15.28 $15.28

-0.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.58 $2.58

-13.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.50 $3.50

-21.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.34 $3.34

-10.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.43 $1.43

30.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.97 $11.97

$24.32 $24.32

-50.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.26 $1.26

-31.75%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

-27.89%

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

$23.8K $23.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

-8.76%

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

$162 $162

$193 $193

-15.99%

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

$29.57 $29.57

$68.3 $68.3

-56.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.0 $68.0

$61.3 $61.3

10.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 $40.21

$54.1 $54.1

-25.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.18 $10.18

$27.92 $27.92

-63.54%

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 $15.11

$17.74 $17.74

-14.83%

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

$856 $856

$1,652 $1,652

-48.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K $24.1K

$31.1K $31.1K

-22.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.85 $36.85

$66.1 $66.1

-44.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.91 $31.91

$51.2 $51.2

-37.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 $76.8

$100 $100

-23.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 $83.5

$141 $141

-40.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 $1,306

$2,446 $2,446

-46.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$912 $912

$1,678 $1,678

-45.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 $2,114

$4,717 $4,717

-55.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,828 $1,828

$2,795 $2,795

-34.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,110 $2,110

$4,105 $4,105

-48.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,101 $2,101

$2,650 $2,650

-20.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,117 $4,117

$4,866 $4,866

-15.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

6.81

-2.94%

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

Last update for Blacksburg, VA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Blacksburg, VA

$912 45.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 83.9% $765

Groceries & Markets

Blacksburg, VA

$352 17.7%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 27.5% $97

Eating Out

Blacksburg, VA

$282 14.2%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 21.7% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Blacksburg, VA

$259 13%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 24.2% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Blacksburg, VA

$103 5.2%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 56.4% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Blacksburg, VA

$70 3.5%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 27.2% $19

Getting Around

Blacksburg, VA

$12 * 0.6%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 675% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,306 in Blacksburg, VA 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 18% 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 $66.0 in Blacksburg, VA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $449 – making Blacksburg, VA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Blacksburg, VA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

23:10 11:10 PM

22:10 10:10 PM

1 h behind Blacksburg, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,826

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Blacksburg, VA Chicago, IL 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Blacksburg, VA
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

Blacksburg, VA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,992 in Blacksburg, VA, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 58% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,988 per month in Blacksburg, VA 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 Blacksburg, VA, 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 $1,992 in Blacksburg, VA and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. That's a gap of about 58%.

Kindergarten costs $856 per month in Blacksburg, VA and $1,652 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 Blacksburg, VA, where all-in costs run around $1,992, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Blacksburg, VA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,992 in Blacksburg, VA to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Blacksburg, VA. 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.