Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $4,275 in Boston, MA, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

204

Cost of Living Index in Boston, MA
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Boston, MA Living Index
147

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

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Boston, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,275

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,275 per month in Boston, MA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Boston, MA $4,275
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $6,046 per month in Boston, MA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Boston, MA $6,046
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $7,816 per month in Boston, MA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Boston, MA $7,816
Chicago, IL $5,999

Boston, MA costs about 41% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Boston, MA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Boston, MA by 214%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.91 $27.91

$20.71 $20.71

34.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$89.2 $89.2

36.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 $11.87

$13.19 $13.19

-10.01%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$5.66 $5.66

-6.01%

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

$2.99 $2.99

$2.64 $2.64

13.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.15 $8.15

$6.87 $6.87

18.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.95 $8.95

$8.84 $8.84

1.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.25 $1.25

-3.20%

White Bread (500g)

$4.41 $4.41

$3.72 $3.72

18.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.23 $7.23

$5.39 $5.39

34.14%

Eggs

$6.08 $6.08

$4.74 $4.74

28.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.44 $15.44

$13.84 $13.84

11.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.08 $14.08

$14.40 $14.40

-2.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.08 $19.08

$18.38 $18.38

3.81%

Apples (1kg)

$7.18 $7.18

$5.22 $5.22

37.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.98 $1.98

0.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$4.06 $4.06

32.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$4.97 $4.97

54.73%

Potato (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$2.67 $2.67

70.79%

Onion (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.66 $2.66

50.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.24 $2.24

29.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.13 $3.13

-4.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.39 $13.39

$13.82 $13.82

-3.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.33 $15.33

$14.88 $14.88

3.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.54 $2.54

22.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.51 $3.51

29.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.43 $2.43

-2.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.5 $89.5

$73.5 $73.5

21.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.18 $3.18

-18.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.39 $1.39

29.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.46 $27.46

$25.03 $25.03

9.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.20 $1.20

-4.17%

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

$29.4K $29.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-16.08%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.46%

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

$243 $243

$194 $194

25.24%

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

$56.1 $56.1

$69.5 $69.5

-19.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.2 $84.2

$61.6 $61.6

36.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.0 $68.0

$47.90 $47.90

41.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.11 $41.11

$27.34 $27.34

50.37%

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 $15.68

$17.81 $17.81

-11.96%

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

$2,653 $2,653

$1,794 $1,794

47.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.5K $36.5K

$31.9K $31.9K

14.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.9 $73.9

$67.0 $67.0

10.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.9 $51.9

$52.1 $52.1

-0.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$102 $102

9.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 $155

$144 $144

7.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,400 $3,400

$2,526 $2,526

34.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,587 $2,587

$1,578 $1,578

63.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,840 $5,840

$4,738 $4,738

23.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,908 $3,908

$2,693 $2,693

45.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.0K $14.0K

$4,190 $4,190

233.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 $6,470

$2,768 $2,768

133.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,753 $5,753

$4,931 $4,931

16.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.81

-2.20%

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

Last update for Boston, MA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boston, MA

$2.6K 60.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 39% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Boston, MA

$515 12.1%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 13.2% $68

Eating Out

Boston, MA

$403 9.4%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 14.3% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boston, MA

$384 9%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 15.2% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Boston, MA

$176 4.1%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 6.9% $12

Getting Around

Boston, MA

$111 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 15.6% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Boston, MA

$99 2.3%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 15.9% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,400 in Boston, MA 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 17% higher in Boston, MA, 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 $122 in Boston, MA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $515 vs $447 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Boston, MA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

13:45 1:45 PM

12:45 12:45 PM

1 h behind Boston, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

675,647

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

Boston, MA Chicago, IL 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Boston, 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

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

Boston, MA costs about 41% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,413 per month in Boston, MA 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 Chicago, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,526 there versus $3,400 in Boston, MA.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Boston, MA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Boston, MA and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,275 in Boston, MA and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chicago, IL costs $3,037 versus $4,275 in Boston, MA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Chicago, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Boston, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.