Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Belvidere, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Belvidere, IL: $2,359 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Belvidere, IL
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Belvidere, IL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Belvidere, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,359

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Belvidere, IL

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 Belvidere, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,359 in Belvidere, IL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Belvidere, IL $2,359

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,373 in Belvidere, IL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Belvidere, IL $3,373

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,387 in Belvidere, IL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Belvidere, IL $4,387

Chicago, IL costs about 33% more than Belvidere, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Belvidere, IL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Belvidere, IL by 74%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$11.07 $11.07

86.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$47.63 $47.63

89.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$7.85 $7.85

64.84%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.01 $5.01

11.78%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.23 $1.23

114.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.52 $1.52

49.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$4.58 $4.58

52.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.09 $6.09

44.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.69 $0.69

84.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$1.34 $1.34

183.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.72 $4.72

12.29%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$2.48 $2.48

91.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$4.19 $4.19

233.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$10.66 $10.66

37.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$16.47 $16.47

13.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.03 $5.03

3.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.10 $1.10

80.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$5.26 $5.26

-25.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.71 $1.71

190.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.53 $1.53

80.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$0.83 $0.83

232.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.96 $0.96

131.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.03 $2.03

46.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$5.83 $5.83

140.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$11.14 $11.14

37.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.16 $2.16

19.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.24 $3.24

8.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.04 $2.04

21.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.43 $3.43

-2.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.91 $1.91

-25.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$44.63 $44.63

-45.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.84 $0.84

50.00%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$32.9K $32.9K

6.36%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$27.4K $27.4K

-4.71%

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

$193 $193

$202 $202

-4.80%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$44.29 $44.29

54.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$70.0 $70.0

-12.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$41.94 $41.94

29.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$8.04 $8.04

120.65%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$696 $696

137.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$21.4K $21.4K

44.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$49.38 $49.38

33.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$62.1 $62.1

-17.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$120 $120

-16.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$88.4 $88.4

59.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,597 $1,597

53.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,301 $1,301

28.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,537 $2,537

85.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,187 $2,187

27.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,757 $2,757

48.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,356 $2,356

12.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.63

2.71%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Belvidere, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Belvidere, IL

$1.3K 55.2% 22.5% $377

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Belvidere, IL

$300 12.7% 33.3% $150

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Belvidere, IL

$218 9.3% 36.4% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Belvidere, IL

$317 13.4% 1.7% $5.6

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Belvidere, IL

$144 6.1% 10.7% $17

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Belvidere, IL

$21 * 0.9% 77.8% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Belvidere, IL

$58 2.5% 35.2% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,597 in Belvidere, IL. 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $48.00 in Belvidere, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $300 – making Belvidere, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Belvidere, IL

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

25,585

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL Belvidere, IL 110 km

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Chicago, IL
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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 Belvidere, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL costs about 33% more than Belvidere, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,538 in Belvidere, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,359 in Belvidere, IL. That's a gap of about 33%.

Kindergarten costs $1,652 per month in Chicago, IL and $696 in Belvidere, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Belvidere, IL, where all-in costs run around $2,359, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Belvidere, IL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Belvidere, IL costs $2,359 versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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