Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bridgeton, MO: $2,556 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Bridgeton, MO
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Bridgeton, MO Living Index
152

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

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Bridgeton, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,556

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,556 in Bridgeton, MO versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL.

Bridgeton, MO $2,556
Chicago, IL $3,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,735 in Bridgeton, MO versus $4,627 in Chicago, IL.

Bridgeton, MO $3,735
Chicago, IL $4,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,914 in Bridgeton, MO versus $6,115 in Chicago, IL.

Bridgeton, MO $4,914
Chicago, IL $6,115

Living in Bridgeton, MO costs roughly 19% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bridgeton, MO 89% above, Chicago, IL 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.88 $18.88

$20.65 $20.65

-8.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.1 $74.1

$90.2 $90.2

-17.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 $10.84

$12.94 $12.94

-16.23%

Cappuccino

$5.12 $5.12

$5.60 $5.60

-8.57%

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

$2.51 $2.51

$2.64 $2.64

-4.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.27 $2.27

-11.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 $6.08

$6.98 $6.98

-12.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 $6.86

$8.83 $8.83

-22.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.27 $1.27

-21.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.80 $3.80

-6.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$5.30 $5.30

-19.43%

Eggs

$4.10 $4.10

$4.76 $4.76

-13.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.13 $12.13

$13.96 $13.96

-13.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.29 $11.29

$14.61 $14.61

-22.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 $15.37

$18.77 $18.77

-18.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.19 $5.19

-4.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.98 $1.98

-20.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$3.93 $3.93

9.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$4.96 $4.96

-5.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.76 $2.76

5.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.76 $2.76

1.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.22 $2.22

-6.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.98 $2.98

-29.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.62 $9.62

$14.02 $14.02

-31.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.18 $14.18

$15.28 $15.28

-7.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.58 $2.58

-30.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.50 $3.50

-2.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.47 $2.47

-20.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.34 $3.34

2.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.43 $1.43

10.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.16 $29.16

$24.32 $24.32

19.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.26 $1.26

-29.37%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

-15.64%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

-1.94%

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

$188 $188

$193 $193

-2.20%

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

$52.6 $52.6

$68.3 $68.3

-22.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 $67.1

$61.3 $61.3

9.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.66 $42.66

$54.1 $54.1

-21.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$13.69 $13.69

$17.74 $17.74

-22.83%

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

$1,323 $1,323

$1,652 $1,652

-19.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$31.1K $31.1K

-25.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$66.1 $66.1

-22.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.14 $40.14

$51.2 $51.2

-21.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 $86.8

$100 $100

-13.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$141 $141

-19.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 $1,589

$2,446 $2,446

-35.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,335 $1,335

$1,678 $1,678

-20.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 $2,663

$4,717 $4,717

-43.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,205 $2,205

$2,795 $2,795

-21.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,810 $2,810

$4,105 $4,105

-31.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,469 $2,469

$2,650 $2,650

-6.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.81

-4.41%

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

Last update for Bridgeton, MO: 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

Bridgeton, MO

$1.3K 52.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 25.7% $343

Groceries & Markets

Bridgeton, MO

$385 15.1%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 16.6% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bridgeton, MO

$308 12.1%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 4.6% $14

Eating Out

Bridgeton, MO

$307 12%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 11.8% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Bridgeton, MO

$131 5.1%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 22.9% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Bridgeton, MO

$70 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 27.9% $20

Getting Around

Bridgeton, MO

$19 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 395% $76

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 $1,589 in Bridgeton, MO and $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74.0 in Bridgeton, MO vs $90.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $449 per month, with Bridgeton, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bridgeton, MO

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

00:34 12:34 AM

Same time as Bridgeton, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,445

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

Bridgeton, MO Chicago, IL 420 km

From you

Bridgeton, MO
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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

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

Bridgeton, MO wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bridgeton, MO the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,834 in Bridgeton, MO 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: $1,589 in Bridgeton, MO versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,323 in Bridgeton, MO 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 Bridgeton, MO – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Bridgeton, MO is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bridgeton, MO delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,556 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bridgeton, MO hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Bridgeton, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.