Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Alamogordo, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Alamogordo, NM: $1,962 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Alamogordo, NM
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Alamogordo, NM Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Alamogordo, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$1,962

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Alamogordo, NM

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 Alamogordo, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $1,962 in Alamogordo, NM.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Alamogordo, NM $1,962

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $2,964 in Alamogordo, NM.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Alamogordo, NM $2,964

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $3,965 in Alamogordo, NM.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Alamogordo, NM $3,965

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 60% more expensive than in Alamogordo, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Alamogordo, NM 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$17.06 $17.06

21.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$74.1 $74.1

21.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$8.74 $8.74

48.05%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.74 $5.74

-2.44%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.93 $2.93

-9.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.02 $2.02

12.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$4.92 $4.92

41.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$4.87 $4.87

81.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.20 $1.20

5.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.21 $4.21

-9.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.60 $5.60

-5.36%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.21 $4.21

13.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$16.38 $16.38

-14.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$20.58 $20.58

-29.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$16.75 $16.75

12.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$6.01 $6.01

-13.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.78 $1.78

11.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.86 $3.86

1.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.47 $4.47

10.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$8.75 $8.75

-68.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.03 $2.03

35.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.47 $2.47

-10.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.54 $2.54

17.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$10.84 $10.84

29.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$16.04 $16.04

-4.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.13 $2.13

21.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.11 $4.11

-14.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.03 $1.03

139.81%

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

$1.07 $1.07

17.76%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$26.4K $26.4K

32.40%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.4K $25.4K

2.54%

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

$193 $193

$116 $116

66.47%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$45.28 $45.28

50.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$66.3 $66.3

-7.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

$22.31 $22.31

25.15%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$11.11 $11.11

59.68%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,332 $1,332

24.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$15.6K $15.6K

99.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$61.0 $61.0

8.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$58.0 $58.0

-11.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$79.5 $79.5

26.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,057 $1,057

131.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$838 $838

100.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$1,604 $1,604

194.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,336 $1,336

109.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$1,889 $1,889

117.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$1,865 $1,865

42.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$2,799 $2,799

73.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

13.50%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Alamogordo, NM: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Alamogordo, NM

$838 42.7% 50% $840

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Alamogordo, NM

$496 25.3% 10.3% $46

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Alamogordo, NM

$286 14.6% 16.8% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Alamogordo, NM

$227 11.6% 29.5% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Alamogordo, NM

$89 * 4.6% 44.6% $72

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Alamogordo, NM

$4.1 * 0.2% 95.7% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Alamogordo, NM

$22 * 1.1% 75.2% $67

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 $1,057 in Alamogordo, NM. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 74% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $74.0 in Alamogordo, NM. Groceries flip the comparison at $449 vs $496, with Chicago, IL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Alamogordo, NM

🕒 Local time

23:57 11:57 PM

22:57 10:57 PM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

31,384

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Alamogordo, NM 1,900 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Alamogordo, NM

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 Alamogordo, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL and Alamogordo, NM differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($3,139 vs $1,962 including rent). Alamogordo, NM is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 74% higher in Chicago, IL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,057 in Alamogordo, NM. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Chicago, IL pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL versus $1,962 in Alamogordo, NM – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,962 in Alamogordo, NM versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Alamogordo, NM but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Alamogordo, NM the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Alamogordo, NM gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.