Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Abington, MA

For one person, living costs are similar in Chicago, IL and in Abington, MA: $3,139 and $3,007 a month, rent and utilities included.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
145

Cost of Living Index in Abington, MA
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Abington, MA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Abington, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,007

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Abington, MA

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 Abington, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $3,007 in Abington, MA.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Abington, MA $3,007

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $4,073 in Abington, MA.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Abington, MA $4,073

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $5,140 in Abington, MA.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Abington, MA $5,140

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 4% more expensive than in Abington, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Abington, MA 122% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$18.21 $18.21

13.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$87.3 $87.3

3.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$13.45 $13.45

-3.79%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.88 $4.88

14.75%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.31 $2.31

14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.31 $2.31

-1.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$4.98 $4.98

40.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.99 $6.99

26.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.04 $1.04

22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.01 $4.01

-5.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.23 $5.23

1.34%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.69 $3.69

29.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$11.11 $11.11

25.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$14.41 $14.41

1.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$17.90 $17.90

4.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.36 $4.36

19.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.74 $1.74

13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.79 $4.79

-17.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.55 $5.55

-10.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.16 $3.16

-12.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.12 $3.12

-11.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.99 $2.99

-25.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.89 $3.89

-23.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$13.95 $13.95

0.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$13.71 $13.71

11.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.16 $2.16

19.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.28 $4.28

-18.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.08 $1.08

16.67%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.8K $27.8K

26.09%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.6K $26.6K

-1.97%

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

$193 $193

$302 $302

-36.26%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$101 $101

-32.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$84.4 $84.4

-27.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$25.39 $25.39

113.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$14.98 $14.98

18.42%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,848 $1,848

-10.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$29.5K $29.5K

5.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$56.5 $56.5

16.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$38.63 $38.63

32.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$78.7 $78.7

27.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$98.8 $98.8

42.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,911 $1,911

28.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,594 $1,594

5.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,542 $2,542

85.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,115 $2,115

32.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$5,662 $5,662

-14.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.53

4.29%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Abington, MA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Abington, MA

$1.6K 53% 5% $84

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Abington, MA

$445 14.8% 0.9% $4

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Abington, MA

$302 10% 12.1% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Abington, MA

$487 16.2% 51.2% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Abington, MA

$123 4.1% 23.9% $39

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Abington, MA

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Abington, MA

$55 1.8% 38.2% $34

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 $2,446 in Chicago, IL and $1,911 in Abington, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abington, MA pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $87.0 in Abington, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $445 per month, with Abington, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Abington, MA

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

03:37 3:37 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

16,378

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Abington, MA 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Abington, MA

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 Abington, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Abington, MA wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Abington, MA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Abington, MA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,911 in Abington, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,652 in Chicago, IL versus $1,848 in Abington, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Abington, MA – a meal for two runs $87.0 versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Abington, MA 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 Abington, MA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,007 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Abington, MA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chicago, IL and Abington, MA 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 Abington, MA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.