Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brockton, MA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Brockton, MA: $2,758 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in Brockton, MA
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Brockton, MA Living Index
146

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

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Brockton, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,758

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,758 in Brockton, MA versus $3,072 in Chicago, IL.

Brockton, MA $2,758
Chicago, IL $3,072

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,009 in Brockton, MA versus $4,545 in Chicago, IL.

Brockton, MA $4,009
Chicago, IL $4,545

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,260 in Brockton, MA versus $6,019 in Chicago, IL.

Brockton, MA $5,260
Chicago, IL $6,019

Living in Brockton, MA costs roughly 10% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brockton, MA 104% above, Chicago, IL 127% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.25 $15.25

$20.39 $20.39

-25.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.8 $93.8

$88.6 $88.6

5.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.45 $7.45

$12.85 $12.85

-42.02%

Cappuccino

$5.54 $5.54

$5.78 $5.78

-4.15%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$2.74 $2.74

-11.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.26 $2.26

-34.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.13 $5.13

$6.88 $6.88

-25.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.06 $8.06

$9.24 $9.24

-12.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.26 $1.26

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.55 $3.55

10.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$5.38 $5.38

-0.37%

Eggs

$4.70 $4.70

$4.55 $4.55

3.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 $11.50

$13.65 $13.65

-15.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 $14.22

$14.07 $14.07

1.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 $17.43

$18.06 $18.06

-3.49%

Apples (1kg)

$6.53 $6.53

$5.16 $5.16

26.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.98 $1.98

-13.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.73 $6.73

$3.88 $3.88

73.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$4.83 $4.83

12.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.81 $2.81

-2.14%

Onion (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.67 $2.67

68.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.07 $2.07

14.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.03 $3.03

-32.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.45 $13.45

$13.90 $13.90

-3.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.28 $14.28

$15.05 $15.05

-5.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.63 $2.63

-18.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.45 $3.45

13.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.43 $2.43

-16.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.9 $60.9

$75.3 $75.3

-19.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.17 $3.17

28.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.70 $1.70

49.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.85 $39.85

$24.90 $24.90

60.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.28 $1.28

-19.53%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$35.8K $35.8K

-22.58%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.36%

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

$323 $323

$192 $192

68.15%

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

$65.1 $65.1

$69.6 $69.6

-6.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.8 $83.8

$62.2 $62.2

34.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.25 $39.25

$47.79 $47.79

-17.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$14.61 $14.61

$17.83 $17.83

-18.06%

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

$1,846 $1,846

$1,815 $1,815

1.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,953 $7,953

$40.6K $40.6K

-80.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 $57.6

$66.2 $66.2

-13.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 $38.09

$51.4 $51.4

-25.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 $78.9

$103 $103

-23.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$143 $143

-28.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 $1,558

$2,531 $2,531

-38.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,296 $1,296

$1,621 $1,621

-20.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 $2,529

$4,828 $4,828

-47.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,099 $2,099

$2,734 $2,734

-23.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 $2,870

$4,163 $4,163

-31.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,154 $2,154

$2,723 $2,723

-20.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,366 $4,366

$4,924 $4,924

-11.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.78

-2.06%

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

Last update for Brockton, MA: November 3, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brockton, MA

$1.3K 47%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8% 25.1% $325

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brockton, MA

$472 17.1%

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5% 31.4% $148

Groceries & Markets

Brockton, MA

$443 16.1%

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3% 0.9% $3.9

Eating Out

Brockton, MA

$268 9.7%

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2% 28.3% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Brockton, MA

$124 4.5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3% 31.7% $39

Getting Around

Brockton, MA

$86 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2% 12.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Brockton, MA

$68 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7% 21.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,558 in Brockton, MA and $2,531 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 13% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $94 in Brockton, MA vs $89 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $443 vs $439 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brockton, MA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

12:49 12:49 PM

11:49 11:49 AM

1 h behind Brockton, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

94,191

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Brockton, MA Chicago, IL 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Brockton, MA
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

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

Brockton, MA wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Brockton, MA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Brockton, MA. 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: $1,558 in Brockton, MA versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Brockton, MA runs roughly 19% less than in Chicago, IL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,758 per month in Brockton, MA versus $3,072 in Chicago, IL – Brockton, MA is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

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.

It comes down to priorities – Brockton, MA wins on affordability, Chicago, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.