Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlsbad, NM and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Carlsbad, NM: $2,193 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Carlsbad, NM
Learn more

Carlsbad, NM Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Carlsbad, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,193

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,193 per month in Carlsbad, NM vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Carlsbad, NM $2,193
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,146 per month in Carlsbad, NM vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Carlsbad, NM $3,146
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,098 per month in Carlsbad, NM vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Carlsbad, NM $4,098
Chicago, IL $5,999

Carlsbad, NM is about 28% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Carlsbad, NM and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Carlsbad, NM by 61%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.29 $17.29

$20.71 $20.71

-16.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.36 $45.36

$89.2 $89.2

-49.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 $11.82

$13.19 $13.19

-10.39%

Cappuccino

$5.70 $5.70

$5.66 $5.66

0.71%

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

$1.51 $1.51

$2.64 $2.64

-42.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 $1.26

$2.28 $2.28

-44.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 $5.09

$6.87 $6.87

-25.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 $7.09

$8.84 $8.84

-19.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.25 $1.25

-36.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.72 $3.72

-1.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$5.39 $5.39

-31.54%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.61 $13.61

$13.84 $13.84

-1.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.22 $12.22

$14.40 $14.40

-15.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.73 $17.73

$18.38 $18.38

-3.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$5.22 $5.22

-19.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.98 $1.98

1.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$4.06 $4.06

-16.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$4.97 $4.97

-19.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.67 $2.67

-13.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.66 $2.66

-8.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.24 $2.24

-19.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$3.13 $3.13

-39.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.81 $10.81

$13.82 $13.82

-21.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 $14.93

$14.88 $14.88

0.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.54 $2.54

-2.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$3.51 $3.51

3.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 $2.37

$3.18 $3.18

-25.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.39 $1.39

74.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.20 $1.20

-23.33%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.79%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$26.7K $26.7K

-7.78%

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

$172 $172

$194 $194

-11.66%

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

$57.0 $57.0

$69.5 $69.5

-17.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.5 $75.5

$61.6 $61.6

22.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.23 $41.23

$47.90 $47.90

-13.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 $9.99

$17.81 $17.81

-43.91%

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

$679 $679

$1,794 $1,794

-62.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 $59.9

$67.0 $67.0

-10.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.36 $32.36

$52.1 $52.1

-37.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.1 $84.1

$102 $102

-17.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 $99.9

$144 $144

-30.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 $1,236

$2,526 $2,526

-51.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$1,578 $1,578

-36.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 $1,972

$4,738 $4,738

-58.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 $1,592

$2,693 $2,693

-40.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,019 $2,019

$4,190 $4,190

-51.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,018 $2,018

$2,768 $2,768

-27.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,175 $4,175

$4,931 $4,931

-15.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.61

6.81

-17.62%

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

Last update for Carlsbad, NM: 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

Carlsbad, NM

$1K 45.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 57.1% $573

Groceries & Markets

Carlsbad, NM

$391 17.9%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 14.3% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carlsbad, NM

$304 13.9%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 7% $21

Eating Out

Carlsbad, NM

$293 13.4%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 17.8% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Carlsbad, NM

$124 5.7%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 31.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Carlsbad, NM

$61 2.8%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 36.4% $22

Getting Around

Carlsbad, NM

$14 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 545% $79

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,236 in Carlsbad, NM 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 18% 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 $45 in Carlsbad, NM versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $391 vs $447 – making Carlsbad, NM the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Carlsbad, NM

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

14:53 2:53 PM

15:53 3:53 PM

1 h ahead of Carlsbad, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,746

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Carlsbad, NM Chicago, IL 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Carlsbad, NM
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

Carlsbad, NM vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,193 in Carlsbad, NM, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Carlsbad, NM comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,290 per month in Carlsbad, NM and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Carlsbad, NM, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,236 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Carlsbad, NM and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Carlsbad, NM, where all-in costs run around $2,193, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Carlsbad, NM it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Carlsbad, NM – 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 Carlsbad, NM. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.