Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Butte, MT and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Butte, MT: $1,848 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Butte, MT
Learn more

Butte, MT Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Butte, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$1,848

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,848 per month in Butte, MT vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Butte, MT $1,848
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $2,812 per month in Butte, MT vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Butte, MT $2,812
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $3,777 per month in Butte, MT vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Butte, MT $3,777
Chicago, IL $6,115

Butte, MT is about 41% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Butte, MT and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Butte, MT by 36%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.71 $14.71

$20.65 $20.65

-28.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.5 $60.5

$90.2 $90.2

-32.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 $9.68

$12.94 $12.94

-25.19%

Cappuccino

$4.40 $4.40

$5.60 $5.60

-21.43%

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

$2.08 $2.08

$2.64 $2.64

-21.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.27 $2.27

7.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 $3.04

$6.98 $6.98

-56.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 $5.10

$8.83 $8.83

-42.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.27 $1.27

-11.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.80 $3.80

-36.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$5.30 $5.30

-7.74%

Eggs

$3.82 $3.82

$4.76 $4.76

-19.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.44 $6.44

$13.96 $13.96

-53.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.34 $7.34

$14.61 $14.61

-49.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.88 $18.88

$18.77 $18.77

0.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$5.19 $5.19

-2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.98 $1.98

-28.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.93 $3.93

-55.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$4.96 $4.96

-55.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 $0.57

$2.76 $2.76

-79.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.76 $2.76

-19.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.22 $2.22

-19.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.98 $2.98

-51.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 $7.85

$14.02 $14.02

-44.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.37 $9.37

$15.28 $15.28

-38.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.58 $2.58

-25.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$3.50 $3.50

-34.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 $5.03

$3.34 $3.34

50.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 $0.64

$1.43 $1.43

-55.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.81 $9.81

$24.32 $24.32

-59.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.26 $1.26

-17.46%

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

$32.1K $32.1K

$35.0K $35.0K

-8.20%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$26.1K $26.1K

-6.08%

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

$137 $137

$193 $193

-28.98%

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

$24.92 $24.92

$68.3 $68.3

-63.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$61.3 $61.3

11.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$10.48 $10.48

$17.74 $17.74

-40.92%

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

$1,974 $1,974

$1,652 $1,652

19.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K $14.2K

$31.1K $31.1K

-54.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.8 $64.8

$66.1 $66.1

-1.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.42 $43.42

$51.2 $51.2

-15.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$100 $100

4.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 $148

$141 $141

5.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 $1,009

$2,446 $2,446

-58.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$884 $884

$1,678 $1,678

-47.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,835 $1,835

$4,717 $4,717

-61.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,619 $1,619

$2,795 $2,795

-42.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,237 $2,237

$4,105 $4,105

-45.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,272 $2,272

$2,650 $2,650

-14.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,849 $3,849

$4,866 $4,866

-20.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

6.81

-8.22%

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

Last update for Butte, MT: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Butte, MT

$884 47.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 89.7% $793

Groceries & Markets

Butte, MT

$298 16.2%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 50.6% $151

Eating Out

Butte, MT

$243 13.2%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 41.4% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Butte, MT

$230 12.5%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 40% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Butte, MT

$162 8.8%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 0.7% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Butte, MT

$21 * 1.1%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 328% $69

Getting Around

Butte, MT

$8.2 * 0.5%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 1055% $87

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,009 in Butte, MT 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.

Salaries run about 26% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Butte, MT versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $449 – making Butte, MT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Butte, MT

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

03:32 3:32 AM

04:32 4:32 AM

1 h ahead of Butte, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,000

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

Butte, MT Chicago, IL 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Butte, MT
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

Butte, MT vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL costs about 70% more than Butte, MT, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,772 per month in Butte, MT 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 Butte, MT, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Butte, MT and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 51% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Butte, MT, where all-in costs run around $1,848, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Butte, MT it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Butte, MT costs $1,848 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 Butte, MT. 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.