Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Alexandria, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria, MN: $2,163 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 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
104

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria, MN
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Alexandria, MN Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Alexandria, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,163

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Alexandria, 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 Alexandria, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $2,163 in Alexandria, MN.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Alexandria, MN $2,163

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $3,319 in Alexandria, MN.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Alexandria, MN $3,319

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $4,476 in Alexandria, MN.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Alexandria, MN $4,476

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 45% more expensive than in Alexandria, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Alexandria, MN 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$15.29 $15.29

35.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$59.4 $59.4

51.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$9.91 $9.91

30.58%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.17 $5.17

8.32%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.01 $2.01

31.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.01 $2.01

12.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.34 $5.34

30.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.35 $7.35

20.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.90 $0.90

41.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.23 $3.23

17.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.41 $3.41

55.43%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.06 $3.06

55.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$9.78 $9.78

42.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$9.38 $9.38

55.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$13.19 $13.19

42.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.98 $4.98

4.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.12 $1.12

76.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$6.21 $6.21

-36.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.10 $5.10

-2.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.92 $3.92

-29.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.45 $3.45

-20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.98 $1.98

12.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.76 $1.76

69.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$13.13 $13.13

6.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.66 $14.66

4.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.72 $1.72

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.53 $3.53

-0.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

$125 $125

-40.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.56 $2.56

30.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.61 $1.61

-11.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$30.89 $30.89

-21.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.02 $1.02

23.53%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.2K $27.2K

28.68%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.7K $25.7K

1.40%

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

$193 $193

$230 $230

-16.17%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$50.8 $50.8

34.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$64.6 $64.6

-5.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$75.6 $75.6

-28.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

$49.63 $49.63

-43.74%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$9.86 $9.86

79.92%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,009 $1,009

63.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$27.6K $27.6K

12.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$24.63 $24.63

168.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$24.54 $24.54

108.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$49.14 $49.14

103.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$59.3 $59.3

137.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,128 $1,128

116.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$887 $887

89.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,091 $2,091

125.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,749 $1,749

59.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,843 $2,843

44.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,764 $2,764

-4.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$3,362 $3,362

44.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.31

7.92%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Alexandria, 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%

Alexandria, MN

$887 41% 47.1% $791

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Alexandria, MN

$358 16.5% 20.4% $92

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Alexandria, MN

$272 12.6% 20.9% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Alexandria, MN

$345 16% 7.1% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Alexandria, MN

$71 3.3% 56% $90

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Alexandria, MN

$136 * 6.3% 42.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Alexandria, MN

$95 4.4% 6.4% $5.7

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 $1,128 in Alexandria, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 45% 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 $59.0 in Alexandria, MN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $358 per month, with Alexandria, MN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Alexandria, MN

🕒 Local time

01:28 1:28 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

160,035

💱 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 Alexandria, MN 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Alexandria, 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 Alexandria, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria, MN wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alexandria, MN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 45% 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 $1,128 in Alexandria, MN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,652 in Chicago, IL versus $1,009 in Alexandria, MN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,163 in Alexandria, MN versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria, MN but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria, MN the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alexandria, MN delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,163 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alexandria, MN hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Alexandria, MN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.