Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Ames, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ames, IA: $2,152 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
Learn more

Ames, IA Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Ames, IA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL versus $2,152 in Ames, IA.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Ames, IA $2,152

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,545 in Chicago, IL versus $3,214 in Ames, IA.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Ames, IA $3,214

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,019 in Chicago, IL versus $4,277 in Ames, IA.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Ames, IA $4,277

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 43% more expensive than in Ames, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 127% above, Ames, IA 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$17.69 $17.69

15.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$52.7 $52.7

68.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$11.91 $11.91

7.89%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$4.86 $4.86

18.93%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.62 $2.62

4.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.30 $2.30

-1.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$4.05 $4.05

69.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$7.13 $7.13

29.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.90 $0.90

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.61 $3.61

-1.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.26 $3.26

65.03%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$3.46 $3.46

31.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$10.37 $10.37

31.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$13.64 $13.64

3.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$18.55 $18.55

-2.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.82 $5.82

-11.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.86 $1.86

6.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$6.48 $6.48

-40.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$5.15 $5.15

-6.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$4.29 $4.29

-34.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.07 $4.07

-34.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.33 $2.33

-11.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.54 $2.54

19.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$9.72 $9.72

43.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.93 $15.93

-5.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.90 $2.90

-9.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$5.09 $5.09

-32.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.97 $0.97

150.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$34.51 $34.51

118.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$5.02 $5.02

-36.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.73 $1.73

-1.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$23.68 $23.68

5.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.90 $0.90

42.22%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$25.5K $25.5K

40.20%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.37%

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

$192 $192

$183 $183

5.07%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$56.2 $56.2

23.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$69.4 $69.4

-10.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$67.9 $67.9

-29.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

$19.84 $19.84

36.59%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$14.93 $14.93

19.42%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,337 $1,337

35.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$10.2K $10.2K

296.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$55.8 $55.8

18.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$44.45 $44.45

15.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$88.8 $88.8

16.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$108 $108

31.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,065 $1,065

137.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$834 $834

94.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$1,787 $1,787

170.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$1,445 $1,445

89.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$2,605 $2,605

59.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,115 $2,115

28.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$3,549 $3,549

38.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.41

5.77%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Ames, IA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Ames, IA

$834 38.8% 48.6% $787

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Ames, IA

$436 20.3% 0.7% $2.9

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Ames, IA

$290 13.5% 15.7% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Ames, IA

$308 14.3% 4.8% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Ames, IA

$134 6.2% 18.3% $30

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Ames, IA

$52 2.4% 46.1% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Ames, IA

$98 4.5% 17.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,531 in Chicago, IL and $1,065 in Ames, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 39% 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 in Chicago, IL vs $53 in Ames, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $439 vs $436 per month, with Ames, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🕒 Local time

21:21 9:21 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

66,427

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Ames, IA 500 km

From you

Chicago, IL
Ames, IA

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 Ames, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ames, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ames, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 39% 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: $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,065 in Ames, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ames, IA runs roughly 54% less than in Chicago, IL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL versus $2,152 in Ames, IA – Ames, IA is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Ames, IA 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.

It comes down to priorities – Ames, IA wins on affordability, Chicago, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.