Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Cary, NC: $2,871 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Cary, NC
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Cary, NC Living Index
147

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

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Cary, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,871

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,871 in Cary, NC versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL.

Cary, NC $2,871
Chicago, IL $3,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,202 in Cary, NC versus $4,518 in Chicago, IL.

Cary, NC $4,202
Chicago, IL $4,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,532 in Cary, NC versus $5,999 in Chicago, IL.

Cary, NC $5,532
Chicago, IL $5,999

Living in Cary, NC costs roughly 5% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cary, NC 111% above, Chicago, IL 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.79 $19.79

$20.71 $20.71

-4.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$89.2 $89.2

13.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 $10.32

$13.19 $13.19

-21.76%

Cappuccino

$5.09 $5.09

$5.66 $5.66

-10.07%

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

$2.11 $2.11

$2.64 $2.64

-20.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.28 $2.28

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.39 $4.39

$6.87 $6.87

-36.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.34 $6.34

$8.84 $8.84

-28.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.25 $1.25

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.52 $5.52

$3.72 $3.72

48.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$5.39 $5.39

9.46%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$4.74 $4.74

-10.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.17 $18.17

$13.84 $13.84

31.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.20 $17.20

$14.40 $14.40

19.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.71 $17.71

$18.38 $18.38

-3.65%

Apples (1kg)

$6.00 $6.00

$5.22 $5.22

14.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.98 $1.98

-5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$4.06 $4.06

-11.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.68 $6.68

$4.97 $4.97

34.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.67 $2.67

19.10%

Onion (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$2.66 $2.66

63.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.24 $2.24

26.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$3.13 $3.13

-24.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 $9.89

$13.82 $13.82

-28.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.22 $10.22

$14.88 $14.88

-31.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.54 $2.54

-10.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.51 $3.51

13.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.43 $2.43

4.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 $80.9

$73.5 $73.5

10.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.20 $1.20

-27.50%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

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

$29.2K $29.2K

$26.7K $26.7K

9.57%

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

$184 $184

$194 $194

-5.46%

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

$48.24 $48.24

$69.5 $69.5

-30.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.0 $68.0

$61.6 $61.6

10.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.0 $77.0

$47.90 $47.90

60.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.39 $22.39

$27.34 $27.34

-18.11%

Cinema Ticket

$15.06 $15.06

$17.81 $17.81

-15.44%

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

$1,466 $1,466

$1,794 $1,794

-18.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.3 $64.3

$67.0 $67.0

-4.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.17 $32.17

$52.1 $52.1

-38.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$102 $102

17.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$144 $144

-6.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,937 $1,937

$2,526 $2,526

-23.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 $1,427

$1,578 $1,578

-9.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,639 $2,639

$4,738 $4,738

-44.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,167 $2,167

$2,693 $2,693

-19.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,869 $2,869

$4,190 $4,190

-31.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,638 $2,638

$2,768 $2,768

-4.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,077 $6,077

$4,931 $4,931

23.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

6.81

-5.73%

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

Last update for Cary, NC: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cary, NC

$1.4K 49.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 10.6% $151

Groceries & Markets

Cary, NC

$486 16.9%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 8% $39

Eating Out

Cary, NC

$301 10.5%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 14.5% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cary, NC

$300 10.5%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 8.5% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Cary, NC

$158 5.5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 3.9% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Cary, NC

$107 3.7%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 22% $24

Getting Around

Cary, NC

$91 * 3.2%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 2.5% $2.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,937 in Cary, NC and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cary, NC pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Cary, NC vs $89 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $486 vs $447 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cary, NC

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

01:10 1:10 AM

00:10 12:10 AM

1 h behind Cary, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

176,987

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cary, NC Chicago, IL 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cary, 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

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

Cary, NC is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 23% higher in Cary, NC, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,937 in Cary, NC versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,466 in Cary, NC versus $1,794 in Chicago, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Chicago, IL pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Cary, NC is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.