Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Centreville, VA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,139 a month against $3,973 in Centreville, VA, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

193

Cost of Living Index in Centreville, VA
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Centreville, VA Living Index
152

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

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Centreville, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,973

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,973 in Centreville, VA versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL.

Centreville, VA $3,973
Chicago, IL $3,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,800 in Centreville, VA versus $4,627 in Chicago, IL.

Centreville, VA $5,800
Chicago, IL $4,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,626 in Centreville, VA versus $6,115 in Chicago, IL.

Centreville, VA $7,626
Chicago, IL $6,115

Living in Centreville, VA is roughly 27% more expensive than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Centreville, VA 193% above, Chicago, IL 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.19 $24.19

$20.65 $20.65

17.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 $106

$90.2 $90.2

17.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 $11.78

$12.94 $12.94

-8.96%

Cappuccino

$6.20 $6.20

$5.60 $5.60

10.71%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$2.64 $2.64

17.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.27 $2.27

9.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.10 $8.10

$6.98 $6.98

16.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.92 $8.92

$8.83 $8.83

1.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.27 $1.27

6.30%

White Bread (500g)

$4.42 $4.42

$3.80 $3.80

16.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.88 $6.88

$5.30 $5.30

29.81%

Eggs

$5.51 $5.51

$4.76 $4.76

15.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.94 $21.94

$13.96 $13.96

57.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.13 $17.13

$14.61 $14.61

17.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.98 $22.98

$18.77 $18.77

22.43%

Apples (1kg)

$6.90 $6.90

$5.19 $5.19

32.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.98 $1.98

-3.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.93 $3.93

24.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$4.96 $4.96

16.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.76 $2.76

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.76 $2.76

39.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.22 $2.22

15.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.98 $2.98

-11.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.90 $10.90

$14.02 $14.02

-22.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.97 $15.97

$15.28 $15.28

4.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.58 $2.58

10.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 $5.83

$3.50 $3.50

66.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.47 $2.47

83.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$199 $199

$74.8 $74.8

166.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.34 $3.34

18.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.43 $1.43

-11.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.42 $25.42

$24.32 $24.32

4.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.26 $1.26

-20.63%

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

$31.7K $31.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

-9.46%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

0.12%

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

$214 $214

$193 $193

11.25%

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

$79.7 $79.7

$68.3 $68.3

16.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.4 $78.4

$61.3 $61.3

27.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 $98.7

$54.1 $54.1

82.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.54 $49.54

$27.92 $27.92

77.44%

Cinema Ticket

$17.94 $17.94

$17.74 $17.74

1.13%

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

$2,034 $2,034

$1,652 $1,652

23.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.3K $36.3K

$31.1K $31.1K

16.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 $70.7

$66.1 $66.1

6.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.5 $62.5

$51.2 $51.2

21.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$100 $100

5.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$141 $141

16.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,766 $2,766

$2,446 $2,446

13.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,135 $2,135

$1,678 $1,678

27.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,010 $4,010

$4,717 $4,717

-14.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,440 $3,440

$2,795 $2,795

23.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,814 $3,814

$4,105 $4,105

-7.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,929 $2,929

$2,650 $2,650

10.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,675 $5,675

$4,866 $4,866

16.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.81

-2.64%

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

Last update for Centreville, VA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Centreville, VA

$2.1K 53.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 21.4% $457

Groceries & Markets

Centreville, VA

$539 13.6%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 16.6% $90

Eating Out

Centreville, VA

$384 9.7%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 10.5% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Centreville, VA

$373 9.4%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 13.5% $50

Getting Around

Centreville, VA

$227 5.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 58.2% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Centreville, VA

$181 4.6%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 10.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Centreville, VA

$135 3.4%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 33.4% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,766 in Centreville, VA and $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centreville, VA 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: $106 in Centreville, VA vs $90.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $539 vs $449 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Centreville, VA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

00:36 12:36 AM

23:36 11:36 PM

1 h behind Centreville, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,000

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

Centreville, VA Chicago, IL 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Centreville, VA
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

Centreville, VA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Centreville, VA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chicago, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 17% higher in Centreville, VA, 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: $2,766 in Centreville, VA versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Centreville, VA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chicago, IL – a meal for two runs $90.0 versus $106 in Centreville, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Chicago, IL is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chicago, IL delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,139 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chicago, IL hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Chicago, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Centreville, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.