Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Albertville, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Albertville, AL: $2,456 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Albertville, AL
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Albertville, AL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Albertville, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,456

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Albertville, AL

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 Albertville, AL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,456 in Albertville, AL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Albertville, AL $2,456

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,048 in Albertville, AL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Albertville, AL $3,048

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,640 in Albertville, AL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Albertville, AL $3,640

Chicago, IL costs about 28% more than Albertville, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Albertville, AL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Albertville, AL by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$18.10 $18.10

14.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$85.1 $85.1

6.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.93 $11.93

8.47%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$6.79 $6.79

-17.53%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.99 $2.99

-11.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.41 $2.41

-5.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.84 $6.84

2.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$8.08 $8.08

9.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.15 $1.15

10.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.65 $2.65

43.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.01 $2.01

163.68%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$2.41 $2.41

97.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$8.57 $8.57

62.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$7.41 $7.41

97.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$13.73 $13.73

36.71%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.68 $5.68

-8.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.59 $1.59

24.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.56 $3.56

10.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.21 $3.21

54.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.69 $2.69

2.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.95 $1.95

41.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.29 $2.29

-3.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.26 $2.26

31.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$9.17 $9.17

52.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$15.66 $15.66

-2.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.40 $1.40

84.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.68 $4.68

-25.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.28 $2.28

8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$4.91 $4.91

-31.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.50 $1.50

-4.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$21.31 $21.31

14.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.92 $0.92

36.96%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$25.3K $25.3K

38.23%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$27.5K $27.5K

-5.33%

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

$193 $193

$227 $227

-15.04%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$30.23 $30.23

125.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$49.07 $49.07

24.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$41.82 $41.82

29.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$15.11 $15.11

17.41%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,443 $1,443

14.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$30.4K $30.4K

2.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$54.8 $54.8

20.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$40.40 $40.40

26.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$74.5 $74.5

34.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$101 $101

38.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,622 $1,622

50.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,276 $1,276

31.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$1,156 $1,156

308.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,013 $1,013

175.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,454 $2,454

67.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,468 $2,468

7.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$1,591 $1,591

205.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.55

3.97%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Albertville, AL: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Albertville, AL

$1.3K 52% 23.9% $402

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Albertville, AL

$324 13.2% 28% $126

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Albertville, AL

$334 13.6% 2.7% $9.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Albertville, AL

$306 12.5% 5% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Albertville, AL

$122 5% 24.4% $39

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Albertville, AL

$22 * 0.9% 77.3% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Albertville, AL

$72 2.9% 19.6% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,622 in Albertville, AL. 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 206% 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $85.0 in Albertville, AL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $324 – making Albertville, AL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Albertville, AL

🕒 Local time

09:54 9:54 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

22,386

💱 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 Albertville, AL 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Albertville, AL

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 Albertville, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL costs about 28% more than Albertville, AL, 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 $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,683 in Albertville, AL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Albertville, AL, 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $85.0 in Albertville, AL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,456 in Albertville, AL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Albertville, AL costs $2,456 versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Albertville, AL. 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.