Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bradley, IL and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Bradley, IL: $2,340 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Bradley, IL
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Bradley, IL Living Index
152

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

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Bradley, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,340

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,340 in Bradley, IL versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL.

Bradley, IL $2,340
Chicago, IL $3,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,428 in Bradley, IL versus $4,627 in Chicago, IL.

Bradley, IL $3,428
Chicago, IL $4,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,517 in Bradley, IL versus $6,115 in Chicago, IL.

Bradley, IL $4,517
Chicago, IL $6,115

Living in Bradley, IL costs roughly 25% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bradley, IL 73% above, Chicago, IL 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.80 $14.80

$20.65 $20.65

-28.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 $62.6

$90.2 $90.2

-30.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 $7.84

$12.94 $12.94

-39.41%

Cappuccino

$5.61 $5.61

$5.60 $5.60

0.18%

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

$2.16 $2.16

$2.64 $2.64

-18.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.27 $2.27

-50.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.37 $5.37

$6.98 $6.98

-23.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 $4.93

$8.83 $8.83

-44.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.27 $1.27

-22.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.80 $3.80

-37.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$5.30 $5.30

-23.02%

Eggs

$3.94 $3.94

$4.76 $4.76

-17.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 $12.33

$13.96 $13.96

-11.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.71 $15.71

$14.61 $14.61

7.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.47 $16.47

$18.77 $18.77

-12.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$5.19 $5.19

13.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.98 $1.98

21.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$3.93 $3.93

1.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$4.96 $4.96

7.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.76 $2.76

17.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.76 $2.76

-1.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.22 $2.22

-9.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.98 $2.98

-33.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.16 $12.16

$14.02 $14.02

-13.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 $14.67

$15.28 $15.28

-3.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.58 $2.58

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.50 $3.50

16.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.47 $2.47

-25.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 $5.57

$3.34 $3.34

66.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.43 $1.43

102.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.19 $17.19

$24.32 $24.32

-29.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.26 $1.26

-11.11%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.25%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.1K $26.1K

1.20%

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

$219 $219

$193 $193

13.88%

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

$51.7 $51.7

$68.3 $68.3

-24.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 $64.9

$61.3 $61.3

5.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.30 $44.30

$54.1 $54.1

-18.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.56 $9.56

$17.74 $17.74

-46.11%

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

$1,228 $1,228

$1,652 $1,652

-25.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K $12.4K

$31.1K $31.1K

-60.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.39 $46.39

$66.1 $66.1

-29.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.79 $24.79

$51.2 $51.2

-51.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.5 $58.5

$100 $100

-41.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.2 $50.2

$141 $141

-64.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 $1,476

$2,446 $2,446

-39.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,161 $1,161

$1,678 $1,678

-30.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,202 $2,202

$4,717 $4,717

-53.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,977 $1,977

$2,795 $2,795

-29.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,548 $2,548

$4,105 $4,105

-37.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,217 $2,217

$2,650 $2,650

-16.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.81

0.15%

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

Last update for Bradley, IL: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bradley, IL

$1.2K 49.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 44.5% $517

Groceries & Markets

Bradley, IL

$413 17.6%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 8.9% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bradley, IL

$336 14.4%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 4.1% $14

Eating Out

Bradley, IL

$259 11.1%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 32.6% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Bradley, IL

$81 3.5%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 99.2% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Bradley, IL

$63 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 41.3% $26

Getting Around

Bradley, IL

$27 * 1.2%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 247% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,476 in Bradley, IL and $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Bradley, IL vs $90.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $413 vs $449 per month, with Bradley, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bradley, IL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

Same time as Bradley, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,419

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Bradley, IL Chicago, IL 84 km

From you

Bradley, IL
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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

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

Bradley, IL and Chicago, IL differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,340 vs $3,139 including rent). Bradley, IL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,510 in Bradley, IL and $4,708 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: $1,476 in Bradley, IL versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,228 in Bradley, IL versus $1,652 in Chicago, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bradley, IL – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,340 in Bradley, IL versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bradley, IL but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Bradley, IL 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 Bradley, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.