Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Aspen, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,185 a month against $5,138 in Aspen, CO, rent and utilities included – about $23,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
251

Cost of Living Index in Aspen, CO
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Aspen, CO Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Aspen, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$5,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Aspen, CO

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 Aspen, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,138 in Aspen, CO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Aspen, CO $5,138

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Chicago, IL vs $7,519 in Aspen, CO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Aspen, CO $7,519

A family of three spends $6,077 per month in Chicago, IL vs $9,900 in Aspen, CO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Aspen, CO $9,900

Chicago, IL is about 38% cheaper than Aspen, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Chicago, IL and Aspen, CO sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Aspen, CO by 281%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$20.27 $20.27

6.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$79.1 $79.1

12.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$10.86 $10.86

21.55%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$5.43 $5.43

2.95%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$3.59 $3.59

-26.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.98 $2.98

-24.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$9.11 $9.11

1.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.19 $1.19

7.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$5.48 $5.48

-29.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$6.76 $6.76

-25.00%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$5.58 $5.58

-13.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$11.68 $11.68

21.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$11.00 $11.00

32.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$17.51 $17.51

7.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.95 $5.95

-12.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.46 $1.46

36.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$6.12 $6.12

-34.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$6.13 $6.13

-18.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.95 $3.95

-29.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.69 $3.69

-28.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$3.45 $3.45

-38.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.75 $2.75

12.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$10.84 $10.84

48.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$17.19 $17.19

-11.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.83 $1.83

43.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.89 $4.89

-29.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

$91.0 $91.0

-17.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.45 $2.45

31.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.37 $1.37

1.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$23.95 $23.95

4.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.02 $1.02

21.57%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$35.7K $35.7K

4.11%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.4K $25.4K

1.53%

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

$192 $192

$149 $149

28.86%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$72.1 $72.1

-5.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$75.3 $75.3

-19.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$137 $137

-60.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$16.28 $16.28

9.34%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,590 $1,590

-2.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$30.6K $30.6K

2.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$70.3 $70.3

-3.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$48.77 $48.77

4.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$93.5 $93.5

8.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$141 $141

1.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$4,051 $4,051

-41.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$3,601 $3,601

-52.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$7,881 $7,881

-40.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$6,487 $6,487

-57.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$10.9K $10.9K

-61.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$7,649 $7,649

-64.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$4,976 $4,976

-1.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.55

3.36%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Aspen, CO: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Aspen, CO

$3.6K 70.1% 110% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Aspen, CO

$472 9.2% 4.5% $20

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Aspen, CO

$340 6.6% 3.7% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Aspen, CO

$297 5.8% 7.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Aspen, CO

$159 3.1% 2.6% $4.3

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Aspen, CO

$100 * 2% 5.5% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Aspen, CO

$169 3.3% 89.8% $80

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $4,051 in Aspen, CO. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2% higher in Aspen, CO, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Chicago, IL versus $79.0 in Aspen, CO. Groceries tell a different story – $451 in Chicago, IL vs $472 in Aspen, CO – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Aspen, CO

🕒 Local time

23:19 11:19 PM

22:19 10:19 PM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

7,000

💱 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 Aspen, CO 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Aspen, CO

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 Aspen, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aspen, CO costs about 61% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,777 per month in Chicago, IL and $7,707 in Aspen, CO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chicago, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Aspen, CO, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Chicago, IL and $79.0 in Aspen, CO. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,185 in Chicago, IL and $5,138 in Aspen, CO. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chicago, IL costs $3,185 versus $5,138 in Aspen, CO. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Chicago, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aspen, CO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.