Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Chicago, IL and in Alexandria, VA: $3,185 and $3,249 a month, rent and utilities included.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria, VA
Learn more

Alexandria, VA Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Alexandria, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,249

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Alexandria, VA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL versus $3,249 in Alexandria, VA.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Alexandria, VA $3,249

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,631 in Chicago, IL versus $4,722 in Alexandria, VA.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Alexandria, VA $4,722

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,077 in Chicago, IL versus $6,195 in Alexandria, VA.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Alexandria, VA $6,195

Living in Chicago, IL costs roughly 2% less than in Alexandria, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 136% above, Alexandria, VA 141% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$20.18 $20.18

6.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$103 $103

-14.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$11.83 $11.83

11.58%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$4.52 $4.52

23.67%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.73 $2.73

-3.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.25 $2.25

0.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$6.58 $6.58

8.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$8.86 $8.86

4.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.18 $1.18

8.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.88 $3.88

-1.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.80 $3.80

33.42%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$4.53 $4.53

6.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$16.40 $16.40

-13.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$15.22 $15.22

-4.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$20.04 $20.04

-6.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$6.10 $6.10

-14.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.34 $1.34

49.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$7.55 $7.55

-47.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$7.84 $7.84

-36.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.14 $2.14

30.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.61 $2.61

1.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.73 $2.73

-21.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.44 $2.44

26.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$9.34 $9.34

71.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$14.35 $14.35

5.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.75 $1.75

49.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.66 $3.66

-5.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.07 $3.07

-19.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

$51.5 $51.5

45.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$4.08 $4.08

-21.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.98 $1.98

-29.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$25.13 $25.13

-0.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.02 $1.02

21.57%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$36.8K $36.8K

1.15%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.6K $25.6K

0.80%

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

$192 $192

$240 $240

-20.02%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$53.7 $53.7

26.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$77.2 $77.2

-21.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$72.4 $72.4

-26.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$18.33 $18.33

-2.89%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$2,034 $2,034

-23.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$65.5K $65.5K

-52.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$48.10 $48.10

41.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$47.90 $47.90

5.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$122 $122

-16.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$134 $134

6.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$2,315 $2,315

2.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,737 $1,737

-1.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$3,390 $3,390

37.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$2,776 $2,776

-1.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$6,743 $6,743

-38.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$4,049 $4,049

-33.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$5,951 $5,951

-17.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.64

1.96%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Alexandria, VA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Alexandria, VA

$1.7K 53.5% 1.5% $25

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Alexandria, VA

$474 14.6% 5% $23

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Alexandria, VA

$322 9.9% 8.8% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Alexandria, VA

$371 11.4% 15.7% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Alexandria, VA

$158 4.9% 3.2% $5.2

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Alexandria, VA

$78 2.4% 18.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Alexandria, VA

$109 3.4% 22.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,383 in Chicago, IL and $2,315 in Alexandria, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alexandria, VA pays 22% 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: $89.0 in Chicago, IL vs $103 in Alexandria, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $451 vs $474 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Alexandria, VA

🕒 Local time

11:39 11:39 AM

12:39 12:39 PM

1 h ahead of 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Alexandria, VA 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Alexandria, VA

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, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL and Alexandria, VA differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($3,185 vs $3,249 including rent). Chicago, IL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Alexandria, VA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $2,315 in Alexandria, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL versus $3,249 in Alexandria, VA – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chicago, IL runs roughly 46% less than in Alexandria, VA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Chicago, IL is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Chicago, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Alexandria, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.