Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Albert Lea, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Albert Lea, MN: $1,944 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 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 Albert Lea, MN
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Albert Lea, MN Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Albert Lea, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,944

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Albert Lea, MN

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 Albert Lea, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Albert Lea, MN $1,944

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $2,969 in Albert Lea, MN.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Albert Lea, MN $2,969

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $3,995 in Albert Lea, MN.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Albert Lea, MN $3,995

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 61% more expensive than in Albert Lea, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Albert Lea, MN 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$20.02 $20.02

3.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$102 $102

-11.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.92 $11.92

8.56%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$6.29 $6.29

-10.97%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.06 $3.06

-13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.56 $2.56

-11.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$4.88 $4.88

43.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$5.69 $5.69

55.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.92 $0.92

38.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.93 $2.93

29.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.17 $2.17

144.24%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.90 $3.90

22.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$8.84 $8.84

57.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$16.56 $16.56

-11.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$18.96 $18.96

-1.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.40 $5.40

-3.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.50 $1.50

32.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.89 $4.89

-19.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.72 $3.72

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.73 $2.73

1.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.22 $2.22

24.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.70 $2.70

-17.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.30 $2.30

29.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$9.92 $9.92

41.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$15.24 $15.24

0.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.74 $1.74

48.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.39 $3.39

3.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.09 $2.09

18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.95 $1.95

71.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.28 $1.28

11.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$20.31 $20.31

19.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.94 $0.94

34.04%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$26.7K $26.7K

31.25%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.6K $25.6K

1.85%

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

$193 $193

$185 $185

4.36%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$53.4 $53.4

27.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$79.6 $79.6

-23.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$39.66 $39.66

36.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$9.82 $9.82

80.65%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,350 $1,350

22.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$11.9K $11.9K

160.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$45.76 $45.76

44.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$24.54 $24.54

108.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$50.6 $50.6

97.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$59.6 $59.6

136.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,030 $1,030

137.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$739 $739

126.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$1,586 $1,586

197.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,188 $1,188

135.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,942 $2,942

39.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,028 $2,028

30.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$2,957 $2,957

64.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.57

3.65%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Albert Lea, MN: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Albert Lea, MN

$739 38% 55.9% $939

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Albert Lea, MN

$400 20.6% 11% $49

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Albert Lea, MN

$330 17% 4% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Albert Lea, MN

$318 16.3% 1.4% $4.6

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Albert Lea, MN

$81 4.2% 49.6% $80

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Albert Lea, MN

$17 * 0.9% 82.4% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Albert Lea, MN

$59 3.1% 33.8% $30

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 $1,030 in Albert Lea, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 65% 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 $102 in Albert Lea, MN. Groceries flip the comparison at $449 vs $400, with Albert Lea, MN cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Albert Lea, MN

🕒 Local time

02:36 2:36 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

17,758

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Albert Lea, MN 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Albert Lea, MN

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 Albert Lea, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL and Albert Lea, MN differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($3,139 vs $1,944 including rent). Albert Lea, MN is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 65% 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 $1,030 in Albert Lea, MN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,652 in Chicago, IL versus $1,350 in Albert Lea, MN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Albert Lea, MN – a meal for two runs $102 versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Albert Lea, MN but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Albert Lea, MN 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.

Safety-wise, Chicago, IL and Albert Lea, MN 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 Albert Lea, MN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.