Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnsville, NC and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Burnsville, NC: $2,546 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Burnsville, NC
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Burnsville, NC Living Index
152

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

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Burnsville, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,546

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,546 per month in Burnsville, NC vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Burnsville, NC $2,546
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,784 per month in Burnsville, NC vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Burnsville, NC $3,784
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,023 per month in Burnsville, NC vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Burnsville, NC $5,023
Chicago, IL $6,115

Burnsville, NC is about 19% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Burnsville, NC and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Burnsville, NC by 88%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.21 $18.21

$20.65 $20.65

-11.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.2 $75.2

$90.2 $90.2

-16.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 $10.94

$12.94 $12.94

-15.46%

Cappuccino

$5.31 $5.31

$5.60 $5.60

-5.18%

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

$1.06 $1.06

$2.64 $2.64

-59.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.27 $2.27

-58.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$6.98 $6.98

-16.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 $3.58

$8.83 $8.83

-59.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.27 $1.27

-18.90%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.80 $3.80

5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$5.30 $5.30

-40.00%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$4.76 $4.76

-6.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 $16.45

$13.96 $13.96

17.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.98 $15.98

$14.61 $14.61

9.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.24 $18.24

$18.77 $18.77

-2.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$5.19 $5.19

0.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.98 $1.98

-28.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.93 $3.93

19.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$4.96 $4.96

-6.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$2.76 $2.76

38.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.76 $2.76

11.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.22 $2.22

-8.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.98 $2.98

-24.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.97 $8.97

$14.02 $14.02

-36.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.39 $15.39

$15.28 $15.28

0.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.58 $2.58

-9.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.50 $3.50

4.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.47 $2.47

-21.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.34 $3.34

-8.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.43 $1.43

28.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.77 $29.77

$24.32 $24.32

22.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.26 $1.26

-23.81%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

1.54%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$26.1K $26.1K

-3.16%

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

$116 $116

$193 $193

-39.70%

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

$67.1 $67.1

$68.3 $68.3

-1.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 $80.5

$61.3 $61.3

31.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.26 $46.26

$54.1 $54.1

-14.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$15.83 $15.83

$17.74 $17.74

-10.77%

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

$1,495 $1,495

$1,652 $1,652

-9.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$31.1K $31.1K

-19.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 $51.6

$66.1 $66.1

-21.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.65 $37.65

$51.2 $51.2

-26.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 $93.8

$100 $100

-6.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$141 $141

1.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,605 $1,605

$2,446 $2,446

-34.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 $1,307

$1,678 $1,678

-22.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 $2,485

$4,717 $4,717

-47.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,185 $2,185

$2,795 $2,795

-21.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,851 $2,851

$4,105 $4,105

-30.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,102 $2,102

$2,650 $2,650

-20.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

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 Burnsville, NC: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Burnsville, NC

$1.3K 51.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 28.4% $371

Groceries & Markets

Burnsville, NC

$444 17.4%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 1.3% $5.8

Eating Out

Burnsville, NC

$287 11.3%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 19.8% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burnsville, NC

$264 10.4%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 22.2% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Burnsville, NC

$147 5.8%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 9.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Burnsville, NC

$78 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 15% $12

Getting Around

Burnsville, NC

$20 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 376% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,605 in Burnsville, NC versus $2,446 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Burnsville, NC versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $444 vs $449 – making Burnsville, NC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Burnsville, NC

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

03:47 3:47 AM

1 h behind Burnsville, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,306

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

Burnsville, NC Chicago, IL 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Burnsville, NC
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

Burnsville, NC vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL costs about 23% more than Burnsville, NC, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,819 per month in Burnsville, NC and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Burnsville, NC, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,546 in Burnsville, NC and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. That's a gap of about 23%.

Kindergarten costs $1,495 per month in Burnsville, NC and $1,652 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,546 in Burnsville, NC and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Burnsville, NC costs $2,546 versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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