Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Abingdon, VA: $1,804 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 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
87

Cost of Living Index in Abingdon, VA
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Abingdon, VA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Abingdon, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Abingdon, VA

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 Abingdon, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,804 in Abingdon, VA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Abingdon, VA $1,804

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,857 in Abingdon, VA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Abingdon, VA $2,857

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,911 in Abingdon, VA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Abingdon, VA $3,911

Chicago, IL costs about 68% more than Abingdon, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Abingdon, VA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Abingdon, VA by 33%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$22.55 $22.55

-8.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$75.5 $75.5

18.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.80 $9.80

34.59%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.32 $5.32

6.39%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.84 $1.84

43.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.03 $2.03

12.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.94 $4.94

39.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.05 $6.05

46.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.16 $1.16

7.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.78 $3.78

-1.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$8.19 $8.19

-34.19%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.87 $3.87

22.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$18.00 $18.00

-23.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$13.93 $13.93

3.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.13 $18.13

1.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$8.08 $8.08

-35.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.47 $1.47

34.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.97 $5.97

-31.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.93 $4.93

0.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.14 $3.14

-14.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.97 $2.97

-10.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.01 $2.01

11.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.56 $3.56

-12.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.02 $8.02

72.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.72 $13.72

8.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.68 $1.68

51.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.98 $3.98

-11.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$6.98 $6.98

-54.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.34 $2.34

-40.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$15.09 $15.09

65.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.98 $0.98

22.45%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$29.9K $29.9K

17.24%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.42%

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

$194 $194

$176 $176

10.49%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$34.73 $34.73

99.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$63.5 $63.5

-2.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.06 $12.06

47.68%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,289 $1,289

39.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$9,967 $9,967

220.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$34.69 $34.69

93.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$30.19 $30.19

72.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$64.0 $64.0

58.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$79.3 $79.3

81.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$750 $750

236.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$584 $584

170.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,320 $1,320

259.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,157 $1,157

132.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.13

11.09%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Abingdon, VA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Abingdon, VA

$584 32.4% 63% $994

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Abingdon, VA

$484 26.8% 8.1% $36

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Abingdon, VA

$326 18.1% 5.5% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Abingdon, VA

$274 15.2% 15.8% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Abingdon, VA

$94 5.2% 42.9% $70

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Abingdon, VA

$19 * 1% 80% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Abingdon, VA

$24 * 1.3% 71.1% $59

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $750 in Abingdon, VA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $75 in Abingdon, VA. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $484 in Abingdon, VA – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Abingdon, VA

🕒 Local time

04:43 4:43 AM

05:43 5:43 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

8,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Abingdon, VA 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Abingdon, VA

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 Abingdon, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $1,804 in Abingdon, VA – Abingdon, VA comes out roughly 41% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $2,706 in Abingdon, VA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Abingdon, VA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $750 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $75 in Abingdon, VA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Abingdon, VA, where all-in costs run around $1,804, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Abingdon, VA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Abingdon, VA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.