Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Barnstable, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Barnstable, MA: $2,398 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Barnstable, MA
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Barnstable, MA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Barnstable, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,398

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Barnstable, MA

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 Barnstable, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $2,398 in Barnstable, MA.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Barnstable, MA $2,398

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $3,546 in Barnstable, MA.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Barnstable, MA $3,546

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $4,695 in Barnstable, MA.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Barnstable, MA $4,695

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 31% more expensive than in Barnstable, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Barnstable, MA 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$18.23 $18.23

13.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$74.0 $74.0

21.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$10.08 $10.08

28.37%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$3.98 $3.98

40.70%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.12 $2.12

24.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.67 $1.67

35.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.15 $5.15

35.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.88 $6.88

28.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.04 $1.04

22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.05 $3.05

24.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.10 $4.10

29.27%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.12 $4.12

15.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$6.43 $6.43

117.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$8.68 $8.68

68.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$8.65 $8.65

116.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.14 $4.14

25.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.80 $1.80

10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.48 $4.48

-12.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.61 $3.61

37.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.21 $2.21

24.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.14 $2.14

28.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.93 $1.93

15.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.44 $2.44

22.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$12.18 $12.18

15.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$12.75 $12.75

19.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.17 $2.17

18.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.00 $4.00

-12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.95 $1.95

26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

$34.68 $34.68

115.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.40 $3.40

-1.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$3.75 $3.75

-61.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$25.52 $25.52

-4.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.03 $1.03

22.33%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.3K $27.3K

28.10%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$24.4K $24.4K

7.01%

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

$193 $193

$101 $101

90.64%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$60.7 $60.7

12.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$63.8 $63.8

-3.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$41.77 $41.77

29.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

$24.38 $24.38

14.52%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$13.74 $13.74

29.11%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,833 $1,833

-9.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$29.7K $29.7K

4.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$55.9 $55.9

18.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$37.94 $37.94

35.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$80.0 $80.0

25.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$99.5 $99.5

41.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,579 $1,579

54.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,315 $1,315

27.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,496 $2,496

88.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,179 $2,179

28.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,718 $2,718

51.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,379 $2,379

11.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$4,584 $4,584

6.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.64

2.56%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Barnstable, MA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Barnstable, MA

$1.3K 54.8% 21.6% $363

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Barnstable, MA

$322 13.4% 28.3% $127

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Barnstable, MA

$278 11.6% 18.9% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Barnstable, MA

$226 9.4% 30% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Barnstable, MA

$123 5.1% 23.7% $38

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Barnstable, MA

$65 2.7% 32.1% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Barnstable, MA

$69 2.9% 22.7% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,446 in Chicago, IL and $1,579 in Barnstable, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 6% 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: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $74.0 in Barnstable, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $322 per month, with Barnstable, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Barnstable, MA

🕒 Local time

00:22 12:22 AM

01:22 1:22 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

44,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Barnstable, MA 1,430 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Barnstable, MA

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 Barnstable, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL and Barnstable, MA differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($3,139 vs $2,398 including rent). Barnstable, MA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% 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 $1,579 in Barnstable, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Barnstable, MA runs roughly 116% less than in Chicago, IL. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,652 in Chicago, IL versus $1,833 in Barnstable, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barnstable, MA 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.

Expats usually find Barnstable, MA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.