Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bristol, VA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Bristol, VA: $2,038 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Bristol, VA
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Bristol, VA Living Index
152

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

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Bristol, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,038

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,038 in Bristol, VA versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL.

Bristol, VA $2,038
Chicago, IL $3,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,040 in Bristol, VA versus $4,627 in Chicago, IL.

Bristol, VA $3,040
Chicago, IL $4,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,041 in Bristol, VA versus $6,115 in Chicago, IL.

Bristol, VA $4,041
Chicago, IL $6,115

Living in Bristol, VA costs roughly 35% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bristol, VA 50% above, Chicago, IL 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.76 $17.76

$20.65 $20.65

-14.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.9 $63.9

$90.2 $90.2

-29.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 $10.82

$12.94 $12.94

-16.38%

Cappuccino

$4.03 $4.03

$5.60 $5.60

-28.04%

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

$1.93 $1.93

$2.64 $2.64

-26.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.27 $2.27

-22.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.59 $4.59

$6.98 $6.98

-34.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 $5.90

$8.83 $8.83

-33.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.27 $1.27

-24.41%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.80 $3.80

5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$5.30 $5.30

-37.17%

Eggs

$3.69 $3.69

$4.76 $4.76

-22.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.25 $16.25

$13.96 $13.96

16.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.92 $15.92

$14.61 $14.61

8.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.05 $18.05

$18.77 $18.77

-3.84%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.19 $5.19

0.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.98 $1.98

-35.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$3.93 $3.93

19.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$4.96 $4.96

-7.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.76 $2.76

39.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.76 $2.76

5.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.22 $2.22

-9.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.98 $2.98

-21.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.54 $8.54

$14.02 $14.02

-39.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.55 $15.55

$15.28 $15.28

1.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.58 $2.58

-5.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 $3.67

$3.50 $3.50

4.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.34 $3.34

-8.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.43 $1.43

33.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.46 $29.46

$24.32 $24.32

21.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.26 $1.26

-29.37%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

-1.46%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.1K $26.1K

-2.55%

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

$171 $171

$193 $193

-11.09%

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

$67.4 $67.4

$68.3 $68.3

-1.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$61.3 $61.3

15.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.37 $31.37

$54.1 $54.1

-42.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$15.98 $15.98

$17.74 $17.74

-9.92%

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

$1,465 $1,465

$1,652 $1,652

-11.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K $24.8K

$31.1K $31.1K

-20.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 $50.7

$66.1 $66.1

-23.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.93 $36.93

$51.2 $51.2

-27.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.5 $65.5

$100 $100

-34.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 $90.6

$141 $141

-35.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 $1,107

$2,446 $2,446

-54.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$831 $831

$1,678 $1,678

-50.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,786 $1,786

$4,717 $4,717

-62.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,389 $1,389

$2,795 $2,795

-50.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,788 $1,788

$4,105 $4,105

-56.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,800 $1,800

$2,650 $2,650

-32.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,025 $3,025

$4,866 $4,866

-37.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

6.81

-4.85%

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

Last update for Bristol, VA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bristol, VA

$831 40.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 102% $847

Groceries & Markets

Bristol, VA

$440 21.6%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 2.2% $9.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bristol, VA

$309 15.2%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 4.2% $13

Eating Out

Bristol, VA

$272 13.4%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 26.1% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Bristol, VA

$110 5.4%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 47% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Bristol, VA

$63 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 41.5% $26

Getting Around

Bristol, VA

$13 * 0.6%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 655% $83

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 $1,107 in Bristol, VA and $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 61% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $64.0 in Bristol, VA vs $90.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $440 vs $449 per month, with Bristol, VA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bristol, VA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

08:57 8:57 AM

07:57 7:57 AM

1 h behind Bristol, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,141

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bristol, VA Chicago, IL 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bristol, VA
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

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

Bristol, VA and Chicago, IL differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($2,038 vs $3,139 including rent). Bristol, VA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 61% lower in Chicago, IL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,107 in Bristol, VA versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,465 in Bristol, VA 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 Bristol, VA – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,038 in Bristol, VA versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bristol, VA but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Bristol, VA 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 Bristol, VA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.