Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankeny, IA: $2,340 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Ankeny, IA
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Ankeny, IA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Ankeny, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $2,340 in Ankeny, IA.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Ankeny, IA $2,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $3,308 in Ankeny, IA.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Ankeny, IA $3,308

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $4,275 in Ankeny, IA.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Ankeny, IA $4,275

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 30% more expensive than in Ankeny, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Ankeny, IA 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.05 $20.05

3.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$79.4 $79.4

12.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.94 $11.94

10.47%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.60 $5.60

1.07%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.04 $3.04

-13.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.71 $1.71

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.05 $5.05

36.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$5.73 $5.73

54.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.89 $0.89

40.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.00 $3.00

24.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.26 $3.26

65.34%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.96 $3.96

19.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$9.84 $9.84

40.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$8.29 $8.29

73.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$14.78 $14.78

24.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.46 $5.46

-4.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.50 $1.50

32.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.91 $4.91

-17.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.66 $3.66

35.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.17 $2.17

23.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.32 $3.32

-19.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.91 $1.91

17.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.54 $2.54

23.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.83 $8.83

56.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.94 $14.94

-0.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.74 $1.74

45.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.48 $2.48

41.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.97 $1.97

61.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.26 $1.26

10.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$20.20 $20.20

23.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.00 $1.00

20.00%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$26.2K $26.2K

33.49%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.6K $25.6K

4.31%

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

$194 $194

$160 $160

21.16%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$52.9 $52.9

31.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$66.2 $66.2

-6.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$74.6 $74.6

-35.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$9.82 $9.82

81.36%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,095 $1,095

63.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$11.9K $11.9K

167.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$47.07 $47.07

42.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$34.51 $34.51

51.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$88.2 $88.2

15.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$118 $118

21.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,107 $1,107

128.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,157 $1,157

36.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,968 $1,968

140.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,600 $1,600

68.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$5,485 $5,485

-10.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.37

6.91%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ankeny, IA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Ankeny, IA

$1.2K 49.4% 26.7% $421

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Ankeny, IA

$352 15.1% 21.3% $95

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Ankeny, IA

$319 13.6% 7.5% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Ankeny, IA

$280 12% 14.1% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Ankeny, IA

$130 5.5% 21% $34

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Ankeny, IA

$8.3 * 0.4% 91.1% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Ankeny, IA

$94 4% 12.8% $11

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 $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,107 in Ankeny, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ankeny, IA pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $79 in Ankeny, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $352 per month, with Ankeny, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Ankeny, IA

🕒 Local time

17:57 5:57 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

67,887

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Ankeny, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,340 in Ankeny, IA, so Ankeny, IA is about 23% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Chicago, IL. 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: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,107 in Ankeny, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL versus $2,340 in Ankeny, IA – Ankeny, IA is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,340 in Ankeny, IA versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ankeny, IA but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Ankeny, IA 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.