Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Chicago, IL and in Aurora, CO: $3,139 and $3,204 a month, rent and utilities included.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
156

Cost of Living Index in Aurora, CO
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Aurora, CO Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Aurora, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $3,204 in Aurora, CO.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Aurora, CO $3,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $4,519 in Aurora, CO.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Aurora, CO $4,519

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $5,834 in Aurora, CO.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Aurora, CO $5,834

Living in Chicago, IL costs roughly 2% less than in Aurora, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Aurora, CO 136% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$30.59 $30.59

-32.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$67.1 $67.1

34.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$12.81 $12.81

1.01%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.77 $5.77

-2.95%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.77 $2.77

-4.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.18 $2.18

4.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.06 $5.06

37.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.09 $6.09

44.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.33 $1.33

-4.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.00 $3.00

26.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.01 $3.01

76.08%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.34 $4.34

9.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$12.05 $12.05

15.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$9.41 $9.41

55.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$14.32 $14.32

31.08%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.63 $4.63

12.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.51 $1.51

31.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.97 $2.97

32.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.42 $4.42

12.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$5.55 $5.55

-50.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$4.01 $4.01

-31.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.03 $2.03

9.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.96 $3.96

-24.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$10.16 $10.16

37.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.72 $1.72

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.07 $3.07

-19.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

$178 $178

-58.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.00 $1.00

26.00%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.4K $28.4K

23.18%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$27.0K $27.0K

-3.47%

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

$193 $193

$160 $160

20.68%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$80.7 $80.7

-15.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$52.6 $52.6

16.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$24.42 $24.42

121.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

$10.11 $10.11

176.16%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$18.14 $18.14

-2.21%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,154 $1,154

43.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$30.1K $30.1K

3.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$58.1 $58.1

13.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$49.56 $49.56

3.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$103 $103

-2.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$116 $116

21.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,913 $1,913

27.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,749 $1,749

-4.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$3,193 $3,193

47.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,603 $2,603

7.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$3,322 $3,322

23.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,930 $2,930

-9.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$4,149 $4,149

17.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.26

8.79%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Aurora, CO: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Aurora, CO

$1.7K 54.6% 4.3% $72

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Aurora, CO

$354 * 11.1% 21.3% $96

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Aurora, CO

$410 12.8% 19.3% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Aurora, CO

$293 9.1% 9.1% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Aurora, CO

$147 4.6% 9.1% $15

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Aurora, CO

$191 * 6% 100% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Aurora, CO

$61 1.9% 32.3% $29

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 $1,913 in Aurora, CO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $67.0 in Aurora, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $354 per month, with Aurora, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Aurora, CO

🕒 Local time

17:08 5:08 PM

16:08 4:08 PM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

180,542

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Aurora, CO 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Aurora, 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 Aurora, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Aurora, CO. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chicago, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 17% 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 $1,913 in Aurora, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Aurora, CO pay roughly 27% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Chicago, IL – a meal for two runs $90.0 versus $67.0 in Aurora, CO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 work as nomad bases, but Chicago, IL delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,139 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chicago, IL hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Chicago, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Aurora, CO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.