Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chesterfield, MO and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chesterfield, MO: $2,474 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Chesterfield, MO
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Chesterfield, MO Living Index
152

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

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Chesterfield, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,474

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,474 in Chesterfield, MO versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL.

Chesterfield, MO $2,474
Chicago, IL $3,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,442 in Chesterfield, MO versus $4,627 in Chicago, IL.

Chesterfield, MO $3,442
Chicago, IL $4,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Chesterfield, MO versus $6,115 in Chicago, IL.

Chesterfield, MO $4,411
Chicago, IL $6,115

Living in Chesterfield, MO costs roughly 21% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chesterfield, MO 83% above, Chicago, IL 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.13 $25.13

$20.65 $20.65

21.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 $61.0

$90.2 $90.2

-32.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.08 $10.08

$12.94 $12.94

-22.10%

Cappuccino

$5.01 $5.01

$5.60 $5.60

-10.54%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$2.64 $2.64

-16.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.27 $2.27

-45.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 $4.46

$6.98 $6.98

-36.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 $6.33

$8.83 $8.83

-28.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.27 $1.27

-18.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.80 $3.80

-21.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$5.30 $5.30

-59.62%

Eggs

$3.62 $3.62

$4.76 $4.76

-23.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.39 $11.39

$13.96 $13.96

-18.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 $8.91

$14.61 $14.61

-39.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 $12.93

$18.77 $18.77

-31.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$5.19 $5.19

-17.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.98 $1.98

-42.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.93 $3.93

-23.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$4.96 $4.96

-13.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.76 $2.76

-40.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.76 $2.76

-11.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.22 $2.22

-17.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.98 $2.98

-34.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.88 $7.88

$14.02 $14.02

-43.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.52 $13.52

$15.28 $15.28

-11.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.58 $2.58

-28.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.50 $3.50

27.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.47 $2.47

-20.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.34 $3.34

-8.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.43 $1.43

-2.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.08 $36.08

$24.32 $24.32

48.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.26 $1.26

-27.78%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-30.38%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

-12.84%

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

$254 $254

$193 $193

31.72%

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

$58.2 $58.2

$68.3 $68.3

-14.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.1 $72.1

$61.3 $61.3

17.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.23 $41.23

$54.1 $54.1

-23.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$12.20 $12.20

$17.74 $17.74

-31.23%

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

$776 $776

$1,652 $1,652

-53.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$31.1K $31.1K

-14.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 $60.1

$66.1 $66.1

-9.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.46 $30.46

$51.2 $51.2

-40.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.80 $39.80

$100 $100

-60.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.13 $40.13

$141 $141

-71.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,778 $1,778

$2,446 $2,446

-27.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 $1,262

$1,678 $1,678

-24.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,161 $3,161

$4,717 $4,717

-33.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,868 $1,868

$2,795 $2,795

-33.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,734 $2,734

$4,105 $4,105

-33.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,341 $2,341

$2,650 $2,650

-11.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

6.81

-6.61%

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

Last update for Chesterfield, MO: 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

Chesterfield, MO

$1.3K 51%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 33% $416

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chesterfield, MO

$384 15.5%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 16.1% $62

Eating Out

Chesterfield, MO

$340 13.8%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 1% $3.3

Groceries & Markets

Chesterfield, MO

$328 13.3%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 37% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Chesterfield, MO

$77 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 110% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Chesterfield, MO

$66 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 36.5% $24

Getting Around

Chesterfield, MO

$18 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 430% $77

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 $1,778 in Chesterfield, MO and $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Chesterfield, MO vs $90.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $449 per month, with Chesterfield, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chesterfield, MO

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

17:51 5:51 PM

Same time as Chesterfield, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

49,999

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chesterfield, MO Chicago, IL 440 km

From you

Chesterfield, MO
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

Chesterfield, MO vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chesterfield, MO and Chicago, IL differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,474 vs $3,139 including rent). Chesterfield, MO is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,711 in Chesterfield, MO and $4,708 in Chicago, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,778 in Chesterfield, MO 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 37% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,474 per month in Chesterfield, MO versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Chesterfield, MO 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.

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