Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Broomfield, CO and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,286 in Broomfield, CO, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Broomfield, CO outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

159

Cost of Living Index in Broomfield, CO
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Broomfield, CO Living Index
147

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

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Broomfield, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,286

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,286 per month in Broomfield, CO vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Broomfield, CO $3,286
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,578 per month in Broomfield, CO vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Broomfield, CO $4,578
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,870 per month in Broomfield, CO vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Broomfield, CO $5,870
Chicago, IL $5,999

Broomfield, CO costs about 8% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Broomfield, CO and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Broomfield, CO by 141%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.62 $19.62

$20.71 $20.71

-5.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.0 $84.0

$89.2 $89.2

-5.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.93 $11.93

$13.19 $13.19

-9.55%

Cappuccino

$5.92 $5.92

$5.66 $5.66

4.59%

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

$2.79 $2.79

$2.64 $2.64

5.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.28 $2.28

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 $7.09

$6.87 $6.87

3.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 $7.09

$8.84 $8.84

-19.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.25 $1.25

-6.40%

White Bread (500g)

$5.45 $5.45

$3.72 $3.72

46.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.17 $7.17

$5.39 $5.39

33.02%

Eggs

$5.23 $5.23

$4.74 $4.74

10.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.50 $16.50

$13.84 $13.84

19.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.34 $13.34

$14.40 $14.40

-7.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.01 $18.01

$18.38 $18.38

-2.01%

Apples (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$5.22 $5.22

7.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.98 $1.98

-28.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$4.06 $4.06

10.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$4.97 $4.97

-6.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.67 $2.67

-3.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.66 $2.66

3.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.24 $2.24

2.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.13 $3.13

-19.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.09 $10.09

$13.82 $13.82

-26.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.86 $18.86

$14.88 $14.88

26.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.54 $2.54

5.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 $4.73

$3.51 $3.51

34.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.43 $2.43

40.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.18 $3.18

8.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.39 $1.39

-0.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.61 $24.61

$25.03 $25.03

-1.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.20 $1.20

-15.00%

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

$30.4K $30.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-13.31%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.37%

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

$178 $178

$194 $194

-8.25%

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

$75.6 $75.6

$69.5 $69.5

8.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.0 $70.0

$61.6 $61.6

13.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.12 $25.12

$47.90 $47.90

-47.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$14.96 $14.96

$17.81 $17.81

-16.00%

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

$1,654 $1,654

$1,794 $1,794

-7.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$31.9K $31.9K

-23.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.0 $64.0

$67.0 $67.0

-4.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.89 $34.89

$52.1 $52.1

-33.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$102 $102

-0.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$144 $144

-28.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,349 $2,349

$2,526 $2,526

-7.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,936 $1,936

$1,578 $1,578

22.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,150 $3,150

$4,738 $4,738

-33.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,834 $2,834

$2,693 $2,693

5.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,911 $4,911

$4,190 $4,190

17.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,749 $3,749

$2,768 $2,768

35.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,702 $5,702

$4,931 $4,931

15.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.81

-1.32%

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

Last update for Broomfield, CO: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Broomfield, CO

$1.9K 58.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 18.5% $358

Groceries & Markets

Broomfield, CO

$477 14.5%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 6.2% $30

Eating Out

Broomfield, CO

$333 10.2%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 3.4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Broomfield, CO

$324 9.9%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 0.5% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Broomfield, CO

$136 4.2%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 20.3% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Broomfield, CO

$55 1.7%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 51.7% $28

Getting Around

Broomfield, CO

$24 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 289% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,349 in Broomfield, CO versus $2,526 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.

Salaries run about 16% higher in Broomfield, CO. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Broomfield, CO versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $477 in Broomfield, CO vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Broomfield, CO

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

22:43 10:43 PM

23:43 11:43 PM

1 h ahead of Broomfield, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,112

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Broomfield, CO Chicago, IL 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Broomfield, CO
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,286 in Broomfield, CO, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 8% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,929 per month in Broomfield, CO and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,349 in Broomfield, CO and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,286 in Broomfield, CO and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. That makes Chicago, IL about 8% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,654 per month in Broomfield, CO and $1,794 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,286 in Broomfield, CO and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $3,286 in Broomfield, CO. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chicago, IL. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Broomfield, CO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.