Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Berwyn, IL: $2,449 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Berwyn, IL
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Berwyn, IL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Berwyn, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,449

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $2,449 in Berwyn, IL.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Berwyn, IL $2,449

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $3,655 in Berwyn, IL.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Berwyn, IL $3,655

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $4,860 in Berwyn, IL.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Berwyn, IL $4,860

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 28% more expensive than in Berwyn, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Berwyn, IL 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$19.67 $19.67

4.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$74.7 $74.7

20.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$9.83 $9.83

31.64%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.04 $5.04

11.11%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.58 $2.58

2.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.97 $1.97

15.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.09 $6.09

14.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.09 $7.09

24.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.83 $0.83

53.01%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.60 $3.60

5.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.69 $4.69

1.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$10.01 $10.01

39.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$13.92 $13.92

4.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$16.75 $16.75

12.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.04 $5.04

2.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.50 $1.50

32.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.91 $3.91

0.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.00 $5.00

-0.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.59 $2.59

6.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.58 $2.58

6.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.14 $2.14

3.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.39 $2.39

24.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$10.95 $10.95

28.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$15.16 $15.16

0.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.96 $1.96

31.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.49 $3.49

0.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.76 $1.76

40.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.85 $2.85

17.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.37 $1.37

4.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$21.24 $21.24

14.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.24 $1.24

1.61%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$33.9K $33.9K

3.23%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

0.74%

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

$193 $193

$195 $195

-1.20%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$68.7 $68.7

-0.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$61.2 $61.2

0.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$43.38 $43.38

24.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$13.97 $13.97

26.99%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,693 $1,693

-2.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$24.3K $24.3K

27.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$54.4 $54.4

21.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$40.43 $40.43

26.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$94.9 $94.9

5.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$115 $115

22.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,401 $1,401

74.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,183 $1,183

41.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,623 $2,623

79.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,052 $2,052

36.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,341 $2,341

75.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,156 $2,156

22.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.65

2.41%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Berwyn, 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%

Berwyn, IL

$1.2K 48.3% 29.5% $495

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Berwyn, IL

$406 16.6% 9.6% $43

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Berwyn, IL

$310 12.7% 9.7% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Berwyn, IL

$325 13.3% 0.8% $2.7

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Berwyn, IL

$137 5.6% 14.9% $24

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Berwyn, IL

$17 * 0.7% 82.4% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Berwyn, IL

$71 2.9% 20.4% $18

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 $1,401 in Berwyn, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $75.0 in Berwyn, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $406 per month, with Berwyn, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Berwyn, IL

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

57,250

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL Berwyn, IL 14 km

From you

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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 Berwyn, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Berwyn, IL is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,708 in Chicago, IL and $3,674 in Berwyn, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,401 in Berwyn, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,652 in Chicago, IL versus $1,693 in Berwyn, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Berwyn, IL – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,449 in Berwyn, IL versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Berwyn, IL but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Berwyn, IL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Berwyn, IL is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chicago, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chicago, IL and Berwyn, IL are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Berwyn, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.