Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Artesia, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Artesia, NM: $2,346 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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
112

Cost of Living Index in Artesia, NM
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Artesia, NM Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Artesia, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,346

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Artesia, NM

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $2,346 in Artesia, NM.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Artesia, NM $2,346

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $3,160 in Artesia, NM.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Artesia, NM $3,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $3,974 in Artesia, NM.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Artesia, NM $3,974

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 34% more expensive than in Artesia, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Artesia, NM 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$16.28 $16.28

26.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$46.94 $46.94

92.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.98 $11.98

8.01%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$6.13 $6.13

-8.65%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.33 $2.33

13.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.61 $1.61

40.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.96 $5.96

17.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.93 $6.93

27.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.83 $0.83

53.01%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.87 $2.87

32.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.48 $2.48

113.71%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.45 $3.45

37.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$11.83 $11.83

18.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$11.71 $11.71

24.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$12.98 $12.98

44.61%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$3.58 $3.58

44.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.46 $1.46

35.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.61 $2.61

50.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.66 $3.66

35.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.11 $2.11

30.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.69 $2.69

2.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.77 $1.77

25.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.62 $1.62

83.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$10.19 $10.19

37.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$9.26 $9.26

65.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.02 $2.02

27.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.74 $4.74

-26.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.04 $2.04

21.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.61 $1.61

107.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.36 $1.36

5.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$26.81 $26.81

-9.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.96 $0.96

31.25%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.3K $27.3K

28.34%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.24%

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

$193 $193

$149 $149

29.41%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$72.2 $72.2

-5.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$68.1 $68.1

-10.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$41.86 $41.86

29.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$8.02 $8.02

121.20%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$581 $581

184.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$7,020 $7,020

342.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$37.66 $37.66

75.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$36.76 $36.76

39.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$84.8 $84.8

18.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$79.0 $79.0

78.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,524 $1,524

60.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,250 $1,250

34.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,084 $2,084

126.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,637 $1,637

70.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,773 $2,773

48.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,389 $2,389

10.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$3,509 $3,509

38.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.51

4.61%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Artesia, NM: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Artesia, NM

$1.2K 53.3% 25.5% $428

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Artesia, NM

$326 13.9% 27.6% $124

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Artesia, NM

$299 12.8% 12.9% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Artesia, NM

$289 12.3% 10.2% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Artesia, NM

$107 4.6% 33.5% $54

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Artesia, NM

$17 * 0.7% 82.6% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Artesia, NM

$58 2.5% 35.4% $32

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 $1,524 in Artesia, NM. 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: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $47.00 in Artesia, NM for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $326 per month, with Artesia, NM cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Artesia, NM

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

04:20 4:20 AM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

16,522

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Artesia, NM 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Artesia, NM

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 Artesia, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Artesia, NM wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Artesia, NM 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: $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,524 in Artesia, NM. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,652 in Chicago, IL versus $581 in Artesia, NM. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Artesia, NM – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,346 in Artesia, NM versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Artesia, NM but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Artesia, NM the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Artesia, NM delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,346 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Artesia, NM hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Artesia, NM gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.