Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Bourne, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Bourne, MA: $2,575 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Bourne, MA
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Bourne, MA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Bourne, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,575

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Bourne, MA

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 Bourne, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,575 in Bourne, MA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Bourne, MA $2,575

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,887 in Bourne, MA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Bourne, MA $3,887

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,199 in Bourne, MA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Bourne, MA $5,199

Chicago, IL costs about 22% more than Bourne, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Bourne, MA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Bourne, MA by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$19.11 $19.11

8.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$81.0 $81.0

11.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$12.91 $12.91

0.23%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$6.15 $6.15

-8.94%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.45 $2.45

7.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.53 $1.53

48.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$8.95 $8.95

-22.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.90 $6.90

27.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.26 $1.26

0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.57 $4.57

-16.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.92 $5.92

-10.47%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$6.80 $6.80

-30.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$14.21 $14.21

-1.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$10.17 $10.17

43.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$20.07 $20.07

-6.48%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.99 $5.99

-13.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.51 $3.51

-43.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.22 $4.22

-6.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.19 $5.19

-4.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.10 $3.10

-10.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.98 $2.98

-7.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.00 $3.00

-26.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.94 $2.94

1.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$14.77 $14.77

-5.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.86 $14.86

2.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.86 $1.86

38.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.60 $3.60

-2.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.11 $2.11

17.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.08 $3.08

8.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.14 $2.14

-33.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$42.66 $42.66

-42.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.13 $1.13

11.50%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.4K $27.4K

27.59%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.2K $26.2K

-0.38%

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

$193 $193

$170 $170

13.37%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$50.1 $50.1

36.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$50.0 $50.0

22.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$46.05 $46.05

17.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$20.64 $20.64

-14.05%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$2,023 $2,023

-18.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$16.2K $16.2K

91.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$49.73 $49.73

32.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$41.44 $41.44

23.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$86.6 $86.6

15.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$101 $101

39.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,604 $1,604

52.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,265 $1,265

32.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,152 $2,152

119.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,219 $2,219

25.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,875 $2,875

42.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,510 $2,510

5.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.8

0.15%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bourne, MA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Bourne, MA

$1.3K 49.1% 24.6% $413

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Bourne, MA

$465 18.1% 3.6% $16

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Bourne, MA

$340 13.2% 1.1% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Bourne, MA

$270 10.5% 16.2% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Bourne, MA

$125 4.9% 22.2% $36

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Bourne, MA

$22 * 0.9% 76.7% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Bourne, MA

$87 3.4% 2.5% $2.3

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 $1,604 in Bourne, MA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $81.0 in Bourne, MA. Groceries tell a different story – $449 in Chicago, IL vs $465 in Bourne, MA – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bourne, MA

🕒 Local time

17:14 5:14 PM

18:14 6:14 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

19,224

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Bourne, MA 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Bourne, MA

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 Bourne, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,575 in Bourne, MA – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,863 in Bourne, MA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bourne, MA, 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 $2,575 in Bourne, MA. That's a gap of about 22%.

Kindergarten costs $1,652 per month in Chicago, IL and $2,023 in Bourne, MA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,575 in Bourne, MA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,575 in Bourne, MA to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bourne, MA. 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.