Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Bismarck, ND

For one person, living is cheaper in Bismarck, ND: $2,355 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Bismarck, ND
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Bismarck, ND Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Bismarck, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,355

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Bismarck, ND

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 Bismarck, ND actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL versus $2,355 in Bismarck, ND.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Bismarck, ND $2,355

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,545 in Chicago, IL versus $3,453 in Bismarck, ND.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Bismarck, ND $3,453

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,019 in Chicago, IL versus $4,551 in Bismarck, ND.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Bismarck, ND $4,551

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 30% more expensive than in Bismarck, ND, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 127% above, Bismarck, ND 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$29.75 $29.75

-31.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$69.5 $69.5

27.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$17.29 $17.29

-25.68%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$6.16 $6.16

-6.17%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.60 $2.60

5.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.80 $1.80

25.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$5.45 $5.45

26.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$6.95 $6.95

32.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.00 $1.00

26.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.59 $2.59

37.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.13 $2.13

152.58%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$2.68 $2.68

69.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$7.87 $7.87

73.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$12.98 $12.98

8.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$16.16 $16.16

11.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$3.48 $3.48

48.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.72 $1.72

15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$3.11 $3.11

24.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.40 $4.40

9.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.90 $1.90

47.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.64 $2.64

1.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.20 $2.20

-5.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.80 $2.80

8.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$8.63 $8.63

61.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$20.29 $20.29

-25.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.82 $1.82

44.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.93 $3.93

-12.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.53 $1.53

58.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$35.49 $35.49

112.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.92 $0.92

39.13%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

31.86%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$22.6K $22.6K

18.86%

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

$192 $192

$207 $207

-7.33%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$73.9 $73.9

-5.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$83.7 $83.7

-25.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$33.94 $33.94

40.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$12.06 $12.06

47.84%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$809 $809

124.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$9,125 $9,125

345.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$66.3 $66.3

-0.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$95.3 $95.3

8.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$79.6 $79.6

79.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,010 $1,010

150.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$995 $995

62.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$1,526 $1,526

216.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$1,631 $1,631

67.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$2,440 $2,440

70.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$1,971 $1,971

38.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$4,378 $4,378

12.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.84

-0.88%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Bismarck, ND: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Bismarck, ND

$995 42.2% 38.6% $626

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Bismarck, ND

$365 15.5% 16.9% $74

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Bismarck, ND

$423 17.9% 22.8% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Bismarck, ND

$365 15.5% 12.7% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Bismarck, ND

$109 * 4.6% 33.7% $55

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Bismarck, ND

$42 * 1.8% 57% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Bismarck, ND

$58 2.5% 30.4% $25

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 $2,531 in Chicago, IL and $1,010 in Bismarck, ND. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 12% 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: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $70 in Bismarck, ND for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $439 vs $365 per month, with Bismarck, ND cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bismarck, ND

🕒 Local time

11:48 11:48 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

58,333

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Bismarck, ND 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Bismarck, ND

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 Bismarck, ND: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,355 in Bismarck, ND, so Bismarck, ND is about 23% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,010 in Bismarck, ND. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bismarck, ND – a meal for two runs $70 versus $89 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,355 in Bismarck, ND versus $3,072 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bismarck, ND but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Bismarck, ND the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Bismarck, ND gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.