Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Bentonville, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Bentonville, AR: $2,339 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Bentonville, AR
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Bentonville, AR Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Bentonville, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,339

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Bentonville, AR

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 Bentonville, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,339 in Bentonville, AR, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Bentonville, AR $2,339

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,372 in Bentonville, AR, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Bentonville, AR $3,372

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,406 in Bentonville, AR, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Bentonville, AR $4,406

Chicago, IL costs about 30% more than Bentonville, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Bentonville, AR sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Bentonville, AR by 72%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.48 $20.48

1.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$59.8 $59.8

49.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.48 $12.48

5.69%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.43 $5.43

4.24%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.49 $2.49

6.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.77 $1.77

28.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.37 $6.37

7.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.65 $7.65

15.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.05 $1.05

19.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.88 $2.88

29.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.37 $4.37

23.34%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.88 $3.88

22.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$9.06 $9.06

52.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$9.41 $9.41

53.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$13.54 $13.54

35.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.16 $4.16

25.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.27 $1.27

55.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.21 $3.21

26.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.56 $2.56

94.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.75 $1.75

52.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.18 $2.18

22.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.83 $1.83

22.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.11 $2.11

48.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.22 $8.22

68.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$11.97 $11.97

24.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.85 $1.85

37.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.03 $3.03

15.84%

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

$2.53 $2.53

25.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.26 $1.26

10.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$60.6 $60.6

-58.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.92 $0.92

30.43%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.8K $28.8K

21.82%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.7K $25.7K

3.75%

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

$194 $194

$191 $191

1.79%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$51.1 $51.1

35.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$63.4 $63.4

-2.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$21.57 $21.57

122.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$5.13 $5.13

432.94%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.17 $15.17

17.40%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,150 $1,150

56.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$21.1K $21.1K

51.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$46.79 $46.79

43.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$38.98 $38.98

33.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$66.0 $66.0

53.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$76.8 $76.8

87.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,632 $1,632

54.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,217 $1,217

29.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,224 $3,224

46.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,992 $1,992

35.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$5,211 $5,211

-19.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,259 $2,259

22.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$5,617 $5,617

-12.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.56

3.81%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bentonville, AR: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Bentonville, AR

$1.2K 52% 22.9% $361

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Bentonville, AR

$323 13.8% 27.9% $125

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Bentonville, AR

$331 14.1% 4.2% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Bentonville, AR

$305 13.1% 6.2% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Bentonville, AR

$103 4.4% 37.3% $61

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Bentonville, AR

$8.8 * 0.4% 90.6% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Bentonville, AR

$52 2.2% 37.8% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,632 in Bentonville, AR. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 14% higher in Bentonville, AR, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $60 in Bentonville, AR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $323 – making Bentonville, AR the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bentonville, AR

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

54,164

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Bentonville, AR 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Bentonville, AR

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 Bentonville, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,339 in Bentonville, AR – Bentonville, AR comes out roughly 23% 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 $3,508 in Bentonville, AR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bentonville, AR, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,632 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,339 in Bentonville, AR. That makes Bentonville, AR about 23% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,794 per month in Chicago, IL and $1,150 in Bentonville, AR. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Bentonville, AR, where all-in costs run around $2,339, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Bentonville, AR it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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