Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bozeman, MT and Chicago, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Bozeman, MT and in Chicago, IL: $3,151 and $3,185 a month, rent and utilities included.

154

Cost of Living Index in Bozeman, MT
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Bozeman, MT Living Index
153

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

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Bozeman, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$3,151

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,151 per month in Bozeman, MT vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bozeman, MT $3,151
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $4,553 per month in Bozeman, MT vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bozeman, MT $4,553
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $5,956 per month in Bozeman, MT vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bozeman, MT $5,956
Chicago, IL $6,077

Bozeman, MT is about 1% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bozeman, MT and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Bozeman, MT by 133%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.14 $17.14

$21.58 $21.58

-20.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 $74.6

$88.7 $88.7

-15.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.17 $15.17

$13.20 $13.20

14.92%

Cappuccino

$4.28 $4.28

$5.59 $5.59

-23.43%

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

$3.18 $3.18

$2.63 $2.63

20.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.26 $2.26

15.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.90 $6.90

$7.11 $7.11

-2.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.85 $6.85

$9.23 $9.23

-25.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.28 $1.28

-21.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.84 $3.84

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.35 $7.35

$5.07 $5.07

44.97%

Eggs

$6.23 $6.23

$4.84 $4.84

28.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.87 $24.87

$14.17 $14.17

75.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.99 $9.99

$14.61 $14.61

-31.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$18.76 $18.76

2.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$5.19 $5.19

-15.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$2.00 $2.00

-29.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$4.00 $4.00

3.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.98 $4.98

-23.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.79 $2.79

-29.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.65 $2.65

-15.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.13 $2.13

10.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.09 $3.09

-29.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.26 $9.26

$16.05 $16.05

-42.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.18 $15.18

$15.20 $15.20

-0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.62 $2.62

-35.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.46 $3.46

26.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 $2.57

$3.21 $3.21

-19.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.39 $1.39

-2.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.1 $59.1

$25.02 $25.02

136.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.24 $1.24

-25.81%

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

$31.6K $31.6K

$37.2K $37.2K

-14.95%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$25.8K $25.8K

-1.47%

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

$174 $174

$192 $192

-9.66%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$67.8 $67.8

-24.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$60.9 $60.9

13.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.5 $68.5

$53.6 $53.6

27.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.07 $26.07

$27.90 $27.90

-6.56%

Cinema Ticket

$13.40 $13.40

$17.80 $17.80

-24.72%

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

$1,203 $1,203

$1,554 $1,554

-22.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K $19.4K

$31.4K $31.4K

-38.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 $55.7

$67.9 $67.9

-17.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 $32.56

$50.8 $50.8

-35.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 $99.5

$101 $101

-1.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.5 $50.5

$143 $143

-64.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,550 $2,550

$2,383 $2,383

6.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,900 $1,900

$1,712 $1,712

11.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,103 $4,103

$4,674 $4,674

-12.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,153 $3,153

$2,738 $2,738

15.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,140 $6,140

$4,158 $4,158

47.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,891 $5,891

$2,691 $2,691

118.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,379 $4,379

$4,894 $4,894

-10.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.77

-0.74%

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

Last update for Bozeman, MT: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bozeman, MT

$1.9K 60.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 9.9% $188

Groceries & Markets

Bozeman, MT

$440 14%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 2.6% $12

Eating Out

Bozeman, MT

$305 9.7%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 15.6% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bozeman, MT

$294 9.3%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 9.2% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Bozeman, MT

$107 3.4%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 52.5% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Bozeman, MT

$95 3%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 6.5% $6.2

Getting Around

Bozeman, MT

$9.3 * 0.3%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 918% $86

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,550 in Bozeman, MT versus $2,383 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 12% 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 $75.0 in Bozeman, MT versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $440 vs $451 – making Bozeman, MT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bozeman, MT

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

11:48 11:48 AM

12:48 12:48 PM

1 h ahead of Bozeman, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,293

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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Between locations

Bozeman, MT Chicago, IL 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Bozeman, MT
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

Bozeman, MT vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chicago, IL is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,726 per month in Bozeman, MT and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bozeman, MT, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Bozeman, MT and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,151 in Bozeman, MT and $3,185 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bozeman, MT. 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.