Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Addison, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Addison, IL: $2,393 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Addison, IL
Learn more

Addison, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Addison, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,393

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Addison, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,393 in Addison, IL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Addison, IL $2,393

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,398 in Addison, IL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Addison, IL $3,398

A family of three spends $6,077 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,403 in Addison, IL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Addison, IL $4,403

Chicago, IL costs about 33% more than Addison, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Addison, IL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Addison, IL by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$19.77 $19.77

9.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$75.3 $75.3

17.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$11.78 $11.78

12.05%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$5.13 $5.13

8.97%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.78 $2.78

-5.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.22 $2.22

1.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$6.07 $6.07

17.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$8.70 $8.70

6.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.78 $0.78

64.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.83 $2.83

35.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$2.82 $2.82

79.79%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$3.58 $3.58

35.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$7.55 $7.55

87.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$11.57 $11.57

26.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$10.31 $10.31

81.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.05 $5.05

2.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.53 $1.53

30.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.49 $3.49

14.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$4.01 $4.01

24.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.97 $1.97

41.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.72 $2.72

-2.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.85 $1.85

15.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.37 $2.37

30.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$10.88 $10.88

47.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$8.02 $8.02

89.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.71 $1.71

53.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.55 $3.55

-2.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.02 $2.02

22.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.73 $2.73

17.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.61 $1.61

-13.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$20.62 $20.62

21.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.03 $1.03

20.39%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$24.9K $24.9K

49.14%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.4K $25.4K

1.78%

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

$192 $192

$175 $175

10.14%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$52.4 $52.4

29.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$50.3 $50.3

21.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$42.07 $42.07

27.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$11.77 $11.77

51.23%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,478 $1,478

5.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$24.4K $24.4K

28.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$55.2 $55.2

22.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$41.65 $41.65

21.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$88.1 $88.1

15.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$119 $119

20.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$1,514 $1,514

57.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,252 $1,252

36.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$2,429 $2,429

92.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$1,831 $1,831

49.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$2,785 $2,785

49.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$2,384 $2,384

12.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$3,452 $3,452

41.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.43

5.29%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Addison, IL: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Addison, IL

$1.3K 52.3% 26.9% $460

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Addison, IL

$320 13.4% 29% $131

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Addison, IL

$323 13.5% 8.5% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Addison, IL

$277 11.6% 13.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Addison, IL

$137 5.7% 16.5% $27

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Addison, IL

$19 * 0.8% 80.1% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Addison, IL

$66 2.7% 26.4% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $1,514 in Addison, IL. 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 42% 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 $89.0 in Chicago, IL versus $75.0 in Addison, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $320 – making Addison, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Addison, IL

🕒 Local time

23:26 11:26 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

37,035

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Addison, IL 31 km

From you

Chicago, IL
Addison, 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

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

Chicago, IL costs about 33% more than Addison, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,777 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,590 in Addison, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Addison, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Chicago, IL and $75.0 in Addison, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Addison, IL, where all-in costs run around $2,393, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In Addison, IL 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. Addison, IL costs $2,393 versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Addison, IL. 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.