Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Asheville, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Asheville, NC: $2,909 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Asheville, NC
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Asheville, NC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Asheville, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,909

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Asheville, NC

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 Asheville, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $2,909 in Asheville, NC.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Asheville, NC $2,909

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $4,142 in Asheville, NC.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Asheville, NC $4,142

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $5,375 in Asheville, NC.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Asheville, NC $5,375

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 4% more expensive than in Asheville, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Asheville, NC 114% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$21.30 $21.30

-2.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$99.2 $99.2

-10.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.07 $11.07

19.15%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.78 $5.78

-2.08%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.46 $2.46

7.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.94 $1.94

17.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.98 $6.98

-1.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.24 $9.24

-4.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.20 $1.20

4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.44 $4.44

-16.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.28 $4.28

25.93%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.96 $3.96

19.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$16.62 $16.62

-16.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$13.60 $13.60

5.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$15.14 $15.14

21.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.11 $4.11

27.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.54 $1.54

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.00 $4.00

1.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.57 $4.57

8.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.28 $2.28

17.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.81 $2.81

-5.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.48 $2.48

-9.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.10 $2.10

49.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.50 $8.50

62.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.80 $14.80

0.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.75 $1.75

45.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$5.26 $5.26

-33.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.03 $1.03

135.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$20.17 $20.17

264.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.55 $4.55

-30.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$3.19 $3.19

-56.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$34.82 $34.82

-28.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.94 $0.94

27.66%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.9K $28.9K

21.27%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.39%

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

$194 $194

$183 $183

6.05%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$64.1 $64.1

8.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$107 $107

-42.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$35.23 $35.23

35.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$18.99 $18.99

43.97%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$11.36 $11.36

56.78%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,606 $2,606

-31.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$54.5K $54.5K

-41.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$65.0 $65.0

3.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$49.68 $49.68

4.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

-0.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$160 $160

-9.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,770 $1,770

42.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,521 $1,521

3.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,975 $2,975

59.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,207 $2,207

22.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$4,689 $4,689

-10.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$3,245 $3,245

-14.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,770 $3,770

30.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.2

9.84%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Asheville, NC: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Asheville, NC

$1.5K 52.3% 3.6% $58

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Asheville, NC

$418 14.4% 6.6% $30

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Asheville, NC

$344 11.8% 0.3% $1.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Asheville, NC

$355 12.2% 8.9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Asheville, NC

$169 5.8% 3.3% $5.4

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Asheville, NC

$45 1.5% 52% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Asheville, NC

$58 2% 30.6% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,770 in Asheville, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 31% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $99 in Asheville, NC. Groceries flip the comparison at $447 vs $418, with Asheville, NC cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Asheville, NC

🕒 Local time

20:22 8:22 PM

21:22 9:22 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

72,789

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Asheville, NC 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Asheville, NC

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 Asheville, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,909 in Asheville, NC, so Asheville, NC is about 4% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 31% 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: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,770 in Asheville, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Asheville, NC runs roughly 73% less than in Chicago, IL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,794 in Chicago, IL versus $2,606 in Asheville, NC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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 – Asheville, NC wins on affordability, Chicago, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.