Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,317 in Ashburn, VA, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
160

Cost of Living Index in Ashburn, VA
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Ashburn, VA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Ashburn, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,317

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $3,317 in Ashburn, VA.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Ashburn, VA $3,317

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $4,512 in Ashburn, VA.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Ashburn, VA $4,512

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $5,708 in Ashburn, VA.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Ashburn, VA $5,708

Living in Chicago, IL costs roughly 8% less than in Ashburn, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Ashburn, VA 144% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$24.82 $24.82

-16.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$90.2 $90.2

-1.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.86 $12.86

2.57%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.06 $6.06

-6.60%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.97 $2.97

-11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.57 $2.57

-11.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$8.07 $8.07

-14.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.93 $9.93

-10.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.18 $1.18

5.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.01 $4.01

-7.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.31 $5.31

1.51%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.53 $5.53

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$17.28 $17.28

-19.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$15.58 $15.58

-7.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.85 $18.85

-2.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.40 $5.40

-3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.35 $2.35

-15.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$6.43 $6.43

-36.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.88 $5.88

-15.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.83 $2.83

-5.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.76 $3.76

-29.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.40 $2.40

-6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.73 $2.73

14.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.64 $9.64

43.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.74 $15.74

-5.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.25 $2.25

12.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.56 $4.56

-23.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.30 $2.30

5.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$70.7 $70.7

3.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.91 $2.91

9.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.48 $1.48

-6.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$22.07 $22.07

13.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.01 $1.01

18.81%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$35.5K $35.5K

-1.30%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.4K $25.4K

5.09%

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

$194 $194

$165 $165

17.93%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$66.5 $66.5

4.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$78.0 $78.0

-21.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$61.1 $61.1

-21.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$11.98 $11.98

128.21%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$18.19 $18.19

-2.09%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,610 $1,610

11.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$32.7K $32.7K

-2.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$53.8 $53.8

24.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$43.28 $43.28

20.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$99.5 $99.5

2.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$124 $124

16.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,010 $2,010

25.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,795 $1,795

-12.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$4,037 $4,037

17.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,250 $2,250

19.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,996 $2,996

39.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$3,103 $3,103

-10.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$7,539 $7,539

-34.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.82

-0.15%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ashburn, VA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Ashburn, VA

$1.8K 54.1% 13.8% $217

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Ashburn, VA

$488 14.7% 9.1% $41

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Ashburn, VA

$392 11.8% 13.7% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Ashburn, VA

$309 9.3% 5% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Ashburn, VA

$144 4.3% 12.1% $20

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Ashburn, VA

$90 2.7% 3.4% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Ashburn, VA

$97 2.9% 16.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $2,010 in Ashburn, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashburn, VA pays 53% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $90 in Ashburn, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $488 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Ashburn, VA

🕒 Local time

15:33 3:33 PM

16:33 4:33 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

43,511

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Ashburn, VA 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Ashburn, 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 Ashburn, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $3,317 in Ashburn, VA, so Chicago, IL is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 35% 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 $2,010 in Ashburn, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,794 in Chicago, IL versus $1,610 in Ashburn, VA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Ashburn, VA runs roughly 4% less than in Chicago, IL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch 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.

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