Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington, IA and Chicago, IL Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington, IA and Chicago, IL

๐Ÿ™‚ Solo nomad: Burlington, IA is 33.9% cheaper than Chicago, IL without rent, and 41.6% cheaper with rent.
๐Ÿ™‚ Family of 3: Burlington, IA is 20.5% cheaper than Chicago, IL without rent, and 42.7% cheaper with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Burlington, IA
Chicago, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.44 $11.44
$20.82 $20.82
-45.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.5 $59.5
$100 $100
-40.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.89 $8.89
$11.97 $11.97
-25.73%
Cappuccino
$5.6 $5.6
$5.56 $5.56
0.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 $1.99
$3.11 $3.11
-36.01%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 $1.97
$2.42 $2.42
-18.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.56 $3.56
$6.86 $6.86
-48.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 $4.42
$8.45 $8.45
-47.69%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Burlington, IA
Chicago, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.81 $0.81
$1.04 $1.04
-22.12%
White Bread (500g)
$2.59 $2.59
$4.15 $4.15
-37.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$8.19 $8.19
$5.52 $5.52
48.37%
Eggs
$3.01 $3.01
$4.65 $4.65
-35.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.76 $14.76
$14.33 $14.33
3.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.2 $13.2
$14.88 $14.88
-11.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.01 $15.01
$19.34 $19.34
-22.39%
Apples (1kg)
$5.06 $5.06
$5.17 $5.17
-2.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 $1.94
$1.71 $1.71
13.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.84 $4.84
$4.41 $4.41
9.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.21 $5.21
$4.51 $4.51
15.52%
Potato (1kg)
$3.15 $3.15
$2.53 $2.53
24.51%
Onion (1kg)
$2.46 $2.46
$2.74 $2.74
-10.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.79 $1.79
$2.43 $2.43
-26.34%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$2.7 $2.7
-10.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.83 $8.83
$15.19 $15.19
-41.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.81 $11.81
$16.42 $16.42
-28.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 $1.78
$2.35 $2.35
-24.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.95 $3.95
$3.7 $3.7
6.76%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Burlington, IA
Chicago, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.64 $1.64
$2.53 $2.53
-35.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$20.35 $20.35
$74.1 $74.1
-72.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.52 $3.52
$3.34 $3.34
5.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 $1.58
$1.42 $1.42
11.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.54 $29.54
$25.42 $25.42
16.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 $0.88
$1.08 $1.08
-18.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.7K $22.7K
$32.4K $32.4K
-29.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.7K $23.7K
$26.2K $26.2K
-9.46%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Burlington, IA
Chicago, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$173 $173
$188 $188
-7.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$51.5 $51.5
$63.7 $63.7
-19.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.1 $51.1
$65.2 $65.2
-21.69%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Burlington, IA
Chicago, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.1 $50.1
$76.7 $76.7
-34.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$13.03 $13.03
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.04 $11.04
$14.93 $14.93
-26.05%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Burlington, IA
Chicago, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$726 $726
$2,063 $2,063
-64.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.2K $23.2K
$39.2K $39.2K
-40.82%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Burlington, IA
Chicago, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.47 $44.47
$64.3 $64.3
-30.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.46 $31.46
$52.4 $52.4
-39.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$67.1 $67.1
$95.2 $95.2
-29.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$38.34 $38.34
$145 $145
-73.50%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Burlington, IA
Chicago, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$629 $629
$2,378 $2,378
-73.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 $655
$1,584 $1,584
-58.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,037 $1,037
$4,763 $4,763
-78.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,172 $1,172
$2,815 $2,815
-58.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,057 $1,057
$3,588 $3,588
-70.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,030 $1,030
$2,490 $2,490
-58.66%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Burlington, IA
Chicago, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,460 $4,460
$5,275 $5,275
-15.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.52
6.6
-1.21%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Burlington, IA: October 29, 2025

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 29, 2025

Join the CityCost newsletter โ€“ low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.