Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Aalborg

For one person, living is cheaper in Aalborg: $2,233 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Aalborg
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Aalborg Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Aalborg

🇩🇰 Denmark

$2,233

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Aalborg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chicago, IL and in Aalborg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,233 in Aalborg, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Aalborg $2,233

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,407 in Aalborg, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Aalborg $3,407

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,581 in Aalborg, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Aalborg $4,581

Chicago, IL costs about 36% more than Aalborg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Chicago, IL and Aalborg sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Aalborg by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.94 DKK 141

-1.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$104 DKK 701

-14.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$14.67 DKK 98.5

-10.09%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.31 DKK 42.38

-10.30%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.98 DKK 26.74

-33.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.78 DKK 18.70

-17.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.49 DKK 50.3

-8.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.41 DKK 43.06

37.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$2.04 DKK 13.69

-38.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.13 DKK 21.01

18.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.63 DKK 17.63

104.94%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.06 DKK 33.99

-6.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$16.95 DKK 114

-18.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$11.52 DKK 77.4

25.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$23.18 DKK 156

-20.71%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.07 DKK 20.61

70.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.59 DKK 24.09

-44.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.14 DKK 27.81

-1.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.55 DKK 30.54

9.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.28 DKK 15.32

17.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.93 DKK 12.99

37.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.98 DKK 13.30

13.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.44 DKK 9.68

117.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.77 DKK 65.6

41.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$10.76 DKK 72.3

38.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.79 DKK 12.02

41.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.73 DKK 18.32

28.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.50 DKK 23.49

-30.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$69.3 DKK 466

6.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$8.81 DKK 59.2

-63.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.19 DKK 14.68

-36.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$67.6 DKK 454

-62.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$2.56 DKK 17.20

-53.13%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$56.8K DKK 381.2K

-38.26%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$53.3K DKK 358.3K

-49.99%

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

$194 $194

$215 DKK 1,444

-9.59%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$14.85 DKK 99.8

367.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$43.68 DKK 293

41.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$44.66 DKK 300

7.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$26.65 DKK 179

2.59%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$21.34 DKK 143

-16.54%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$526 DKK 3,533

241.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$4,571 DKK 30.7K

598.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$103 DKK 694

-35.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$48.61 DKK 327

7.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$114 DKK 763

-10.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$169 DKK 1,133

-14.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$938 DKK 6,300

169.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$801 DKK 5,377

97.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,636 DKK 11.0K

189.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,231 DKK 8,266

118.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$4,335 DKK 29.1K

-3.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$3,260 DKK 21.9K

-15.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,048 DKK 27.2K

21.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

4.24

60.61%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Aalborg: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Aalborg

$801 35.9% 49.3% $778

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Aalborg

$408 18.3% 8.7% $39

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Aalborg

$365 16.3% 5.7% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Aalborg

$274 12.3% 16% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Aalborg

$195 8.8% 19.2% $31

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Aalborg

$103 4.6% 10.4% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Aalborg

$87 3.9% 4.6% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $938 in Aalborg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 22% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $104 in Aalborg. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $408 in Aalborg – so Aalborg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇩🇰 Aalborg

🕒 Local time

06:57 6:57 AM

12:57 12:57 PM

6 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

114,194

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Danish Krone DKK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

1 DKK = 0.149 USD

1 DKK = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DKK, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇩🇰 Danish Krone (kr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Danish Krone exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.72 DKK (1 DKK = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 DKK (1 DKK = 0.134 EUR).

DKK to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Aalborg 6,620 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Aalborg

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

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

Yes – Chicago, IL is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,349 in Aalborg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aalborg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $938 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $104 in Aalborg. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,233 in Aalborg. That’s a gap of about 36%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Aalborg, where all-in costs run around $2,233, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Aalborg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aalborg costs $2,233 versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Aalborg. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.