Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Bellevue, NE

For one person, living is cheaper in Bellevue, NE: $2,249 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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
109

Cost of Living Index in Bellevue, NE
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Bellevue, NE Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Bellevue, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,249

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Bellevue, NE

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 Bellevue, NE actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,249 in Bellevue, NE, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Bellevue, NE $2,249

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,403 in Bellevue, NE, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Bellevue, NE $3,403

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,558 in Bellevue, NE, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Bellevue, NE $4,558

Chicago, IL costs about 35% more than Bellevue, NE, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Bellevue, NE sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Bellevue, NE by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.21 $20.21

2.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$74.8 $74.8

19.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.92 $11.92

10.65%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.91 $5.91

-4.23%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.58 $2.58

2.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.89 $1.89

20.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.84 $5.84

17.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.51 $7.51

17.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.96 $0.96

30.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.27 $3.27

13.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.27 $4.27

26.23%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.21 $4.21

12.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.34 $11.34

22.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$9.46 $9.46

52.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$15.72 $15.72

16.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.43 $4.43

17.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.62 $1.62

22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.39 $4.39

-7.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.47 $4.47

11.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.89 $1.89

41.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.89 $2.89

-7.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.32 $2.32

-3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.52 $2.52

24.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.16 $8.16

69.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.56 $15.56

-4.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.00 $2.00

27.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$5.73 $5.73

-38.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.02 $2.02

20.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$59.5 $59.5

23.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.04 $3.04

4.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.38 $1.38

0.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$25.15 $25.15

-0.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.97 $0.97

23.71%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$32.3K $32.3K

8.39%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.43%

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

$194 $194

$203 $203

-4.34%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$66.8 $66.8

3.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$72.1 $72.1

-14.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$42.48 $42.48

12.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$40.10 $40.10

-31.82%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.75 $14.75

20.75%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$977 $977

83.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$19.6K $19.6K

62.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$61.1 $61.1

9.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$42.89 $42.89

21.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

-0.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$122 $122

17.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,133 $1,133

122.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$899 $899

75.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,792 $1,792

164.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,572 $1,572

71.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,669 $2,669

56.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,358 $2,358

17.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$5,013 $5,013

-1.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.57

3.65%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bellevue, NE: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Bellevue, NE

$899 40% 43% $679

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Bellevue, NE

$380 16.9% 15.1% $67

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Bellevue, NE

$330 14.7% 4.2% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Bellevue, NE

$342 15.2% 5.1% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Bellevue, NE

$147 6.6% 10.1% $17

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Bellevue, NE

$78 3.5% 16.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Bellevue, NE

$72 3.2% 13.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,133 in Bellevue, NE. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $75 in Bellevue, NE. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $380 – making Bellevue, NE the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bellevue, NE

🕒 Local time

01:38 1:38 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

151,854

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL Bellevue, NE 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Bellevue, NE

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 Bellevue, NE: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,249 in Bellevue, NE – Bellevue, NE comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,374 in Bellevue, NE. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bellevue, NE, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,133 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $75 in Bellevue, NE. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,249 in Bellevue, NE. That makes Bellevue, NE about 26% cheaper.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Bellevue, NE, where all-in costs run around $2,249, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Bellevue, NE it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bellevue, NE – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Bellevue, NE is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 26% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.