Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Auburn, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Auburn, AL: $1,970 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 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
95

Cost of Living Index in Auburn, AL
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Auburn, AL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Auburn, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Auburn, AL

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 Auburn, AL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $1,970 in Auburn, AL.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Auburn, AL $1,970

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $2,886 in Auburn, AL.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Auburn, AL $2,886

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $3,803 in Auburn, AL.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Auburn, AL $3,803

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 54% more expensive than in Auburn, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Auburn, AL 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$13.16 $13.16

57.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$47.22 $47.22

88.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.44 $10.44

26.34%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.10 $5.10

10.98%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.73 $2.73

-3.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.12 $2.12

7.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.91 $4.91

39.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.02 $6.02

46.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.13 $1.13

10.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.81 $3.81

-2.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.19 $4.19

13.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.60 $11.60

19.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$6.56 $6.56

119.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$10.55 $10.55

74.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.94 $4.94

5.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.19 $1.19

66.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.48 $2.48

63.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.97 $2.97

67.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.86 $1.86

43.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.13 $2.13

24.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.00 $2.00

12.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.79 $1.79

74.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$6.62 $6.62

108.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.47 $12.47

19.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$4.19 $4.19

-39.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$5.05 $5.05

-30.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.80 $0.80

50.00%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$15.8K $15.8K

121.49%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$35.7K $35.7K

-25.21%

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

$194 $194

$135 $135

43.99%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$56.8 $56.8

22.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$64.2 $64.2

-4.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$63.9 $63.9

-24.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.18 $15.18

17.33%

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

$1,794 $1,794

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$48.70 $48.70

37.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$48.23 $48.23

8.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$65.8 $65.8

54.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$65.3 $65.3

120.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,276 $1,276

98.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$925 $925

70.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,110 $2,110

124.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,581 $1,581

70.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,083 $2,083

101.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,041 $2,041

35.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,272 $4,272

15.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.39

6.57%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Auburn, AL: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Auburn, AL

$925 46.9% 41.4% $653

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Auburn, AL

$339 17.2% 24.3% $109

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Auburn, AL

$254 12.9% 26.4% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Auburn, AL

$256 13% 21.4% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Auburn, AL

$103 5.2% 37.4% $61

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Auburn, AL

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Auburn, AL

$94 4.8% 12.8% $11

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 $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,276 in Auburn, AL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 15% 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: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $47 in Auburn, AL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $339 per month, with Auburn, AL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Auburn, AL

🕒 Local time

04:04 4:04 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

76,143

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Auburn, AL 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Auburn, AL

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 Auburn, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $1,970 in Auburn, AL, so Auburn, AL is about 35% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% 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 $1,276 in Auburn, AL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Auburn, AL – a meal for two runs $47 versus $89 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL versus $1,970 in Auburn, AL – Auburn, AL is about 35% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,970 in Auburn, AL versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Auburn, AL but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Auburn, AL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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