Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Arlington, KY

For one person, living is cheaper in Arlington, KY: $2,653 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, KY
Learn more

Arlington, KY Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Arlington, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,653

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Arlington, KY

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $2,653 in Arlington, KY.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Arlington, KY $2,653

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $3,917 in Arlington, KY.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Arlington, KY $3,917

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $5,180 in Arlington, KY.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Arlington, KY $5,180

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 18% more expensive than in Arlington, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Arlington, KY 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$18.42 $18.42

12.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$84.1 $84.1

7.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.88 $11.88

8.92%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$6.64 $6.64

-15.66%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.83 $2.83

-6.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.39 $2.39

-5.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.89 $6.89

1.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$8.11 $8.11

8.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.77 $0.77

64.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.96 $3.96

-4.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.05 $4.05

30.86%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.29 $4.29

10.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$12.87 $12.87

8.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$14.53 $14.53

0.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$18.27 $18.27

2.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.82 $5.82

-10.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.53 $1.53

29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.21 $4.21

-6.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.87 $4.87

1.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.99 $1.99

38.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.24 $2.24

23.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.38 $2.38

-6.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.49 $1.49

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$9.37 $9.37

49.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$15.88 $15.88

-3.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.42 $2.42

6.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.67 $4.67

-25.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.99 $1.99

24.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$4.89 $4.89

-31.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.51 $1.51

-5.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$20.90 $20.90

16.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.05 $1.05

20.00%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$37.3K $37.3K

-6.21%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.9K $26.9K

-3.14%

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

$193 $193

$230 $230

-16.24%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$74.5 $74.5

-8.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$75.1 $75.1

-18.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$40.90 $40.90

32.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$15.19 $15.19

16.79%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,442 $1,442

14.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$30.8K $30.8K

0.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$55.3 $55.3

19.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$43.53 $43.53

17.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$92.3 $92.3

8.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$139 $139

1.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,617 $1,617

51.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,282 $1,282

30.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,513 $2,513

87.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,161 $2,161

29.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,807 $2,807

46.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,068 $2,068

28.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$6,051 $6,051

-19.59%

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 Arlington, KY: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Arlington, KY

$1.3K 48.3% 23.6% $396

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Arlington, KY

$417 15.7% 7.1% $32

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Arlington, KY

$334 12.6% 2.7% $9.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Arlington, KY

$380 14.3% 17.8% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Arlington, KY

$149 5.6% 7.9% $13

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Arlington, KY

$20 * 0.8% 78.5% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Arlington, KY

$71 2.7% 20.4% $18

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 $1,617 in Arlington, KY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arlington, KY pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $84.0 in Arlington, KY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $417 per month, with Arlington, KY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Arlington, KY

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

365,438

💱 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 Arlington, KY 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Arlington, KY

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 Arlington, KY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL and Arlington, KY differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($3,139 vs $2,653 including rent). Arlington, KY is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Arlington, KY. 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: $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,617 in Arlington, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL versus $2,653 in Arlington, KY – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Arlington, KY 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 Arlington, KY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.