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

😐 Solo nomad: Chicago, IL is 42% more expensive than Bloomington, IL without rent, and 22% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Chicago, IL is 48.4% more expensive than Bloomington, IL without rent, and 39.2% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chicago, IL
Bloomington, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.82 $20.82
$15.59 $15.59
33.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$100 $100
$53.2 $53.2
88.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.97 $11.97
$10.84 $10.84
10.42%
Cappuccino
$5.56 $5.56
$2.46 $2.46
126.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 $3.11
$1.99 $1.99
56.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$1.97 $1.97
22.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.86 $6.86
$6.09 $6.09
12.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.45 $8.45
$4.89 $4.89
72.80%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Chicago, IL
Bloomington, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$0.84 $0.84
23.81%
White Bread (500g)
$4.15 $4.15
$3.05 $3.05
36.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.52 $5.52
$4.35 $4.35
26.90%
Eggs
$4.65 $4.65
$3.44 $3.44
35.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.33 $14.33
$9.4 $9.4
52.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.88 $14.88
$6.74 $6.74
120.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.34 $19.34
$12.9 $12.9
49.92%
Apples (1kg)
$5.17 $5.17
$4.35 $4.35
18.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.35 $1.35
26.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.41 $4.41
$5.34 $5.34
-17.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$3.09 $3.09
45.95%
Potato (1kg)
$2.53 $2.53
$2.15 $2.15
17.67%
Onion (1kg)
$2.74 $2.74
$2.18 $2.18
25.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 $2.43
$1.84 $1.84
32.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.7 $2.7
$2.15 $2.15
25.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.19 $15.19
$9.34 $9.34
62.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.42 $16.42
$15.04 $15.04
9.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.72 $1.72
36.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.7 $3.7
$2.22 $2.22
66.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Chicago, IL
Bloomington, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.53 $2.53
$1.23 $1.23
105.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.1 $74.1
$40.6 $40.6
82.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.34 $3.34
$1.98 $1.98
68.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 $1.42
$2.21 $2.21
-35.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.42 $25.42
$33.32 $33.32
-23.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$0.89 $0.89
21.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K $32.4K
$33.2K $33.2K
-2.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$25.1K $25.1K
4.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chicago, IL
Bloomington, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 $188
$171 $171
10.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$63.7 $63.7
$64 $64
-0.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$65.2 $65.2
$73.1 $73.1
-10.84%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Chicago, IL
Bloomington, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.7 $76.7
$60.9 $60.9
26.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.03 $13.03
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.93 $14.93
$8.56 $8.56
74.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chicago, IL
Bloomington, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,063 $2,063
$1,760 $1,760
17.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.2K $39.2K
$27K $27K
45.22%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Chicago, IL
Bloomington, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.3 $64.3
$48.05 $48.05
33.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.4 $52.4
$41.27 $41.27
26.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.2 $95.2
$83.4 $83.4
14.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 $145
$130 $130
11.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chicago, IL
Bloomington, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,378 $2,378
$1,079 $1,079
120.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,584 $1,584
$1,380 $1,380
14.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,763 $4,763
$2,145 $2,145
122.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,815 $2,815
$2,011 $2,011
39.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,588 $3,588
$1,344 $1,344
166.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,490 $2,490
$1,312 $1,312
89.75%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Chicago, IL
Bloomington, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,275 $5,275
$4,729 $4,729
11.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.6
6.53
1.07%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 29, 2025

Last update for Bloomington, IL: October 28, 2025

Join the CityCost newsletter – low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.