Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Branson, MO and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Branson, MO: $2,056 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Branson, MO
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Branson, MO Living Index
153

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

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Branson, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,056

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,056 per month in Branson, MO vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Branson, MO $2,056
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $2,975 per month in Branson, MO vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Branson, MO $2,975
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $3,895 per month in Branson, MO vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Branson, MO $3,895
Chicago, IL $6,077

Branson, MO is about 35% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Branson, MO and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Branson, MO by 52%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.17 $20.17

$21.58 $21.58

-6.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 $61.0

$88.7 $88.7

-31.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 $10.59

$13.20 $13.20

-19.77%

Cappuccino

$5.02 $5.02

$5.59 $5.59

-10.20%

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

$1.46 $1.46

$2.63 $2.63

-44.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$2.26 $2.26

-57.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.91 $3.91

$7.11 $7.11

-45.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 $5.02

$9.23 $9.23

-45.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.28 $1.28

-5.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 $3.38

$3.84 $3.84

-11.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$5.07 $5.07

-39.25%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$4.84 $4.84

-14.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 $7.91

$14.17 $14.17

-44.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 $9.05

$14.61 $14.61

-38.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.72 $13.72

$18.76 $18.76

-26.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$5.19 $5.19

-15.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.00 $2.00

-20.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$4.00 $4.00

-43.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 $5.70

$4.98 $4.98

14.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.79 $2.79

-23.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.65 $2.65

-18.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.13 $2.13

-30.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$3.09 $3.09

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.84 $6.84

$16.05 $16.05

-57.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.06 $13.06

$15.20 $15.20

-14.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.62 $2.62

-22.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.46 $3.46

-13.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.47 $2.47

-16.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.21 $3.21

-23.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.39 $1.39

-12.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.6 $60.6

$25.02 $25.02

142.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.24 $1.24

-17.74%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$37.2K $37.2K

-5.52%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$25.8K $25.8K

-5.69%

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

$106 $106

$192 $192

-44.70%

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

$64.9 $64.9

$67.8 $67.8

-4.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.8 $71.8

$60.9 $60.9

18.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.22 $44.22

$53.6 $53.6

-17.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.88 $11.88

$27.90 $27.90

-57.42%

Cinema Ticket

$14.92 $14.92

$17.80 $17.80

-16.18%

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

$798 $798

$1,554 $1,554

-48.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$31.4K $31.4K

-32.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.55 $30.55

$67.9 $67.9

-54.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.14 $43.14

$50.8 $50.8

-15.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 $74.4

$101 $101

-26.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 $147

$143 $143

2.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 $1,056

$2,383 $2,383

-55.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$958 $958

$1,712 $1,712

-44.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,664 $1,664

$4,674 $4,674

-64.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,414 $1,414

$2,738 $2,738

-48.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.77

-3.10%

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

Last update for Branson, MO: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Branson, MO

$958 46.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 78.6% $754

Groceries & Markets

Branson, MO

$338 16.4%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 33.7% $114

Eating Out

Branson, MO

$293 14.2%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 20.6% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Branson, MO

$243 11.8%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 32.1% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Branson, MO

$133 6.5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 23% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Branson, MO

$74 3.6%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 20.4% $15

Getting Around

Branson, MO

$17 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 468% $78

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,056 in Branson, MO 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Branson, MO versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $338 vs $451 – making Branson, MO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Branson, MO

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

23:26 11:26 PM

Same time as Branson, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,746

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

Branson, MO Chicago, IL 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Branson, MO
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,056 in Branson, MO, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 55% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,083 per month in Branson, MO 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 Branson, MO, 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 $61.0 in Branson, MO 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 34% 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.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Branson, MO, where all-in costs run around $2,056, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In Branson, MO 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 $2,056 in Branson, MO to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Branson, MO. 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.