Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Blacksburg, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Blacksburg, VA: $1,992 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 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
97

Cost of Living Index in Blacksburg, VA
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Blacksburg, VA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Blacksburg, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,992

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Blacksburg, VA

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 Blacksburg, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,992 in Blacksburg, VA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Blacksburg, VA $1,992

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,107 in Blacksburg, VA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Blacksburg, VA $3,107

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,223 in Blacksburg, VA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Blacksburg, VA $4,223

Chicago, IL costs about 58% more than Blacksburg, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Blacksburg, VA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Blacksburg, VA by 47%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$16.94 $16.94

21.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$65.8 $65.8

37.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$8.41 $8.41

53.86%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.89 $4.89

14.52%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.84 $2.84

-7.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.05 $2.05

10.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.91 $5.91

18.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.79 $6.79

30.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.94 $0.94

35.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.14 $3.14

21.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.01 $3.01

76.08%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.49 $4.49

6.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$14.81 $14.81

-5.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$9.89 $9.89

47.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$10.17 $10.17

84.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.16 $5.16

0.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.28 $1.28

54.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.33 $4.33

-9.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.76 $4.76

4.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.46 $2.46

12.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.08 $2.08

32.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.04 $2.04

8.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.32 $1.32

125.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$8.84 $8.84

58.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$15.21 $15.21

0.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.22 $2.22

16.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.75 $2.75

27.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.99 $2.99

11.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.86 $1.86

-23.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$11.97 $11.97

103.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.86 $0.86

46.51%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$25.2K $25.2K

38.68%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$23.8K $23.8K

9.61%

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

$193 $193

$162 $162

19.04%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$29.57 $29.57

130.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$68.0 $68.0

-9.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$40.21 $40.21

34.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

$10.18 $10.18

174.26%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$15.11 $15.11

17.41%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$856 $856

93.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$24.1K $24.1K

28.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$36.85 $36.85

79.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$31.91 $31.91

60.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$76.8 $76.8

30.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$83.5 $83.5

68.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,306 $1,306

87.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$912 $912

83.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,114 $2,114

123.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,828 $1,828

52.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,110 $2,110

94.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,101 $2,101

26.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$4,117 $4,117

18.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.61

3.03%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Blacksburg, VA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Blacksburg, VA

$912 45.8% 45.6% $765

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Blacksburg, VA

$352 17.7% 21.6% $97

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Blacksburg, VA

$282 14.2% 17.9% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Blacksburg, VA

$259 13% 19.5% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Blacksburg, VA

$103 5.2% 36.1% $58

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Blacksburg, VA

$12 * 0.6% 87.1% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Blacksburg, VA

$70 3.5% 21.4% $19

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 $1,306 in Blacksburg, VA. 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 18% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $66.0 in Blacksburg, VA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $352 – making Blacksburg, VA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Blacksburg, VA

🕒 Local time

22:49 10:49 PM

23:49 11:49 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

44,826

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Blacksburg, VA 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Blacksburg, VA

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 Blacksburg, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $1,992 in Blacksburg, VA – roughly 58% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $2,988 in Blacksburg, VA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Blacksburg, VA, 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 $1,992 in Blacksburg, VA. That's a gap of about 58%.

Kindergarten costs $1,652 per month in Chicago, IL and $856 in Blacksburg, VA. 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 Blacksburg, VA, where all-in costs run around $1,992, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Blacksburg, VA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,992 in Blacksburg, VA to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Blacksburg, VA. 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.