Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Boone, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Boone, NC: $1,898 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 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
93

Cost of Living Index in Boone, NC
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Boone, NC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Boone, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$1,898

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Boone, NC

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 Boone, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $1,898 in Boone, NC.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Boone, NC $1,898

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $2,637 in Boone, NC.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Boone, NC $2,637

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $3,376 in Boone, NC.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Boone, NC $3,376

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 65% more expensive than in Boone, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Boone, NC 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$11.89 $11.89

73.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$69.4 $69.4

29.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$9.65 $9.65

34.09%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.69 $4.69

19.40%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.22 $2.22

18.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.67 $1.67

35.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.41 $5.41

29.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.11 $7.11

24.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.86 $0.86

47.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.73 $3.73

1.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.16 $3.16

67.72%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$2.54 $2.54

87.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$13.19 $13.19

5.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$9.00 $9.00

62.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$6.77 $6.77

177.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$3.99 $3.99

30.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.28 $2.28

-13.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.06 $4.06

-3.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.16 $4.16

19.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.35 $2.35

17.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.23 $3.23

-14.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.70 $1.70

30.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.18 $2.18

36.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$7.77 $7.77

80.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$12.86 $12.86

18.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.62 $1.62

59.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.71 $2.71

29.15%

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

$1.99 $1.99

67.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.32 $2.32

-38.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$18.28 $18.28

33.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.83 $0.83

51.81%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$26.4K $26.4K

32.70%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.0K $26.0K

0.45%

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

$193 $193

$80.3 $80.3

139.92%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$43.54 $43.54

56.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$56.1 $56.1

9.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$70.4 $70.4

-23.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

$50.1 $50.1

-44.28%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$11.84 $11.84

49.83%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$760 $760

117.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$25.0K $25.0K

24.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$51.8 $51.8

27.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$36.88 $36.88

38.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$70.0 $70.0

43.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$119 $119

18.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,108 $1,108

120.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$918 $918

82.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$1,488 $1,488

217.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,045 $1,045

167.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$3,832 $3,832

7.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$3,819 $3,819

-30.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$3,966 $3,966

22.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.1

11.64%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Boone, NC: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Boone, NC

$918 48.4% 45.3% $760

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Boone, NC

$330 17.4% 26.6% $119

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Boone, NC

$237 12.5% 31% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Boone, NC

$180 9.5% 44.2% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Boone, NC

$125 6.6% 22.6% $36

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Boone, NC

$14 * 0.7% 85.7% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Boone, NC

$94 5% 5% $4.5

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 $1,108 in Boone, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 23% 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: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $69.0 in Boone, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $330 per month, with Boone, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Boone, NC

🕒 Local time

08:56 8:56 AM

09:56 9:56 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

19,562

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Boone, NC 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Boone, NC

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 Boone, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL and Boone, NC differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($3,139 vs $1,898 including rent). Boone, NC is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,108 in Boone, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL versus $1,898 in Boone, NC – a 65% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,898 in Boone, NC versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Boone, NC but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Boone, NC 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 Boone, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.