Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castle Rock, CO and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Castle Rock, CO: $1,253 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Castle Rock, CO
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Castle Rock, CO Living Index
153

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

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Castle Rock, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$1,253

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Castle Rock, CO versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL.

Castle Rock, CO $1,253
Chicago, IL $3,185

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,980 in Castle Rock, CO versus $4,631 in Chicago, IL.

Castle Rock, CO $1,980
Chicago, IL $4,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,706 in Castle Rock, CO versus $6,077 in Chicago, IL.

Castle Rock, CO $2,706
Chicago, IL $6,077

Living in Castle Rock, CO costs roughly 61% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Castle Rock, CO is 7% below, Chicago, IL is 136% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.63 $22.63

$21.58 $21.58

4.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.0 $64.0

$88.7 $88.7

-27.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.25 $9.25

$13.20 $13.20

-29.92%

Cappuccino

$5.46 $5.46

$5.59 $5.59

-2.33%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$2.63 $2.63

-5.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.26 $2.26

-16.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.79 $6.79

$7.11 $7.11

-4.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 $6.13

$9.23 $9.23

-33.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.28 $1.28

-22.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.84 $3.84

-23.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$5.07 $5.07

-44.77%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.84 $4.84

-14.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 $11.14

$14.17 $14.17

-21.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 $9.44

$14.61 $14.61

-35.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.20 $19.20

$18.76 $18.76

2.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$5.19 $5.19

-6.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.00 $2.00

-27.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$4.00 $4.00

-6.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.98 $4.98

5.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.79 $2.79

4.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.65 $2.65

20.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 $1.31

$2.13 $2.13

-38.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$3.09 $3.09

-44.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.17 $10.17

$16.05 $16.05

-36.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.81 $11.81

$15.20 $15.20

-22.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.62 $2.62

-1.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.46 $3.46

-20.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.21 $3.21

-23.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.39 $1.39

36.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.81 $24.81

$25.02 $25.02

-0.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.24 $1.24

-36.29%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$37.2K $37.2K

-3.57%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$25.8K $25.8K

-2.39%

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

$210 $210

$192 $192

9.41%

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

$39.60 $39.60

$67.8 $67.8

-41.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 $71.3

$60.9 $60.9

17.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.0 $59.0

$53.6 $53.6

10.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$12.17 $12.17

$17.80 $17.80

-31.63%

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

$1,318 $1,318

$1,554 $1,554

-15.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K $17.6K

$31.4K $31.4K

-43.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 $54.4

$67.9 $67.9

-19.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 $50.7

$50.8 $50.8

-0.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 $81.5

$101 $101

-19.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$143 $143

-18.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,904 $5,904

$4,894 $4,894

20.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

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

Last update for Castle Rock, CO: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Castle Rock, CO

$362 28.9%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 24.6% $89

Eating Out

Castle Rock, CO

$338 27%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 4.4% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castle Rock, CO

$321 25.6%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 0.1% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Castle Rock, CO

$137 10.9%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 19.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Castle Rock, CO

$83 6.7%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 7% $5.9

Getting Around

Castle Rock, CO

$12 * 1%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 696% $83

Accommodation & Living

Castle Rock, CO

- * 0%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

Castle Rock, CO pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Castle Rock, CO vs $89.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $362 vs $451 per month, with Castle Rock, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Castle Rock, CO

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

21:44 9:44 PM

22:44 10:44 PM

1 h ahead of Castle Rock, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,158

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

Castle Rock, CO Chicago, IL 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Castle Rock, CO
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

Castle Rock, CO vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castle Rock, CO and Chicago, IL differ by about 154% in total monthly costs ($1,253 vs $3,185 including rent). Castle Rock, CO is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Castle Rock, CO, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,253 per month in Castle Rock, CO versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL – a 154% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,253 in Castle Rock, CO versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Castle Rock, CO but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Castle Rock, CO the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Castle Rock, CO 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 Castle Rock, CO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 154% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.