Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Casper, WY and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Casper, WY: $1,564 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Casper, WY
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Casper, WY Living Index
153

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

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Casper, WY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,564

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,564 in Casper, WY versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL.

Casper, WY $1,564
Chicago, IL $3,185

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,453 in Casper, WY versus $4,631 in Chicago, IL.

Casper, WY $2,453
Chicago, IL $4,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,342 in Casper, WY versus $6,077 in Chicago, IL.

Casper, WY $3,342
Chicago, IL $6,077

Living in Casper, WY costs roughly 51% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Casper, WY 16% above, Chicago, IL 136% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.57 $14.57

$21.58 $21.58

-32.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.84 $47.84

$88.7 $88.7

-46.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 $9.23

$13.20 $13.20

-30.08%

Cappuccino

$4.26 $4.26

$5.59 $5.59

-23.79%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$2.63 $2.63

10.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.26 $2.26

12.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$7.11 $7.11

-28.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 $5.92

$9.23 $9.23

-35.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.28 $1.28

-21.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 $1.61

$3.84 $3.84

-58.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$5.07 $5.07

-55.62%

Eggs

$3.67 $3.67

$4.84 $4.84

-24.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.67 $15.67

$18.76 $18.76

-16.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$2.00 $2.00

-36.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.63 $9.63

$16.05 $16.05

-40.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.62 $2.62

-33.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.47 $2.47

-60.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.24 $1.24

-29.03%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

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

$25.8K $25.8K

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

$104 $104

$192 $192

-45.86%

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

$54.8 $54.8

$67.8 $67.8

-19.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$117 $117

$60.9 $60.9

92.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 $54.3

$53.6 $53.6

1.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$10.61 $10.61

$17.80 $17.80

-40.39%

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

$1,554 $1,554

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.51 $39.51

$50.8 $50.8

-22.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 $1,083

$2,383 $2,383

-54.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 $823

$1,712 $1,712

-51.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,544 $1,544

$4,674 $4,674

-66.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,787 $1,787

$2,738 $2,738

-34.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,885 $1,885

$4,158 $4,158

-54.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,916 $1,916

$2,691 $2,691

-28.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,173 $4,173

$4,894 $4,894

-14.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.87

6.77

1.48%

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

Last update for Casper, WY: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Casper, WY

$823 52.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 108% $889

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Casper, WY

$276 17.7%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 16.2% $45

Eating Out

Casper, WY

$254 16.3%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 38.8% $99

Groceries & Markets

Casper, WY

$113 * 7.2%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 298% $338

Sport & Entertainment

Casper, WY

$75 4.8%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 18.2% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Casper, WY

$18 * 1.1%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 820% $146

Getting Around

Casper, WY

$3.9 * 0.3%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 2320% $91

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 $1,083 in Casper, WY and $2,383 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 17% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Casper, WY vs $89.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $113 vs $451 per month, with Casper, WY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Casper, WY

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

09:51 9:51 AM

10:51 10:51 AM

1 h ahead of Casper, WY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,763

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Casper, WY Chicago, IL 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Casper, WY
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

Casper, WY vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Casper, WY is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. The 104% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Chicago, IL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,083 in Casper, WY versus $2,383 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 298% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Casper, WY – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,564 in Casper, WY versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Casper, WY but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Casper, WY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Casper, WY is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chicago, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Casper, WY and Chicago, IL are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Casper, WY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.