Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Carteret, NC and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Carteret, NC: $2,709 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Cape Carteret, NC
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Cape Carteret, NC Living Index
152

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

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Cape Carteret, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,709

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,709 per month in Cape Carteret, NC vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Cape Carteret, NC $2,709
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,716 per month in Cape Carteret, NC vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Cape Carteret, NC $3,716
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,722 per month in Cape Carteret, NC vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Cape Carteret, NC $4,722
Chicago, IL $6,115

Cape Carteret, NC is about 14% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cape Carteret, NC and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Cape Carteret, NC by 100%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.95 $17.95

$20.65 $20.65

-13.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.1 $89.1

$90.2 $90.2

-1.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$12.94 $12.94

-6.11%

Cappuccino

$5.91 $5.91

$5.60 $5.60

5.54%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$2.64 $2.64

5.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.27 $2.27

-9.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$6.98 $6.98

-13.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 $6.95

$8.83 $8.83

-21.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.27 $1.27

-18.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.20 $3.20

$3.80 $3.80

-15.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

Eggs

$4.82 $4.82

$4.76 $4.76

1.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 $10.38

$13.96 $13.96

-25.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.04 $10.04

$14.61 $14.61

-31.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 $18.65

$18.77 $18.77

-0.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$5.19 $5.19

-52.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.98 $1.98

-18.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.93 $3.93

25.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.96 $4.96

17.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.76 $2.76

-18.84%

Onion (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$2.76 $2.76

60.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.22 $2.22

-19.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.98 $2.98

-21.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.47 $9.47

$14.02 $14.02

-32.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 $12.12

$15.28 $15.28

-20.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.58 $2.58

-28.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$3.50 $3.50

-39.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.47 $2.47

-26.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.34 $3.34

38.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.43 $1.43

-7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.14 $20.14

$24.32 $24.32

-17.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.26 $1.26

-20.63%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

-20.91%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.1K $26.1K

0.72%

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

$211 $211

$193 $193

9.68%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$68.3 $68.3

-12.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.3 $67.3

$61.3 $61.3

9.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.20 $44.20

$54.1 $54.1

-18.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.13 $9.13

$17.74 $17.74

-48.53%

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

$1,596 $1,596

$1,652 $1,652

-3.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$31.1K $31.1K

-48.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 $61.0

$66.1 $66.1

-7.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.26 $47.26

$51.2 $51.2

-7.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$100 $100

16.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$141 $141

-21.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,643 $1,643

$2,446 $2,446

-32.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 $1,446

$1,678 $1,678

-13.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,879 $2,879

$4,717 $4,717

-38.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 $1,870

$2,795 $2,795

-33.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,119 $3,119

$4,105 $4,105

-24.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,615 $2,615

$2,650 $2,650

-1.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.81

-3.52%

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

Last update for Cape Carteret, NC: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Carteret, NC

$1.4K 53.4%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 16.1% $232

Groceries & Markets

Cape Carteret, NC

$379 14%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 18.5% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Carteret, NC

$338 12.5%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 4.8% $16

Eating Out

Cape Carteret, NC

$314 11.6%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 9.2% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Carteret, NC

$151 5.6%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 7% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Carteret, NC

$62 2.3%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 43.5% $27

Getting Around

Cape Carteret, NC

$18 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 417% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,643 in Cape Carteret, 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 $89.0 in Cape Carteret, NC versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $379 vs $449 – making Cape Carteret, NC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cape Carteret, NC

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

23:57 11:57 PM

22:57 10:57 PM

1 h behind Cape Carteret, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,000

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

Cape Carteret, NC Chicago, IL 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Carteret, 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

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

Yes – Chicago, IL is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,064 per month in Cape Carteret, 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 Cape Carteret, 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 $2,709 in Cape Carteret, NC and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. That's a gap of about 16%.

Kindergarten costs $1,596 per month in Cape Carteret, 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.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,709 in Cape Carteret, NC and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Cape Carteret, NC – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Cape Carteret, 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.