Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Bozeman, MT

For one person, living costs are similar in Chicago, IL and in Bozeman, MT: $3,185 and $3,151 a month, rent and utilities included.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
154

Cost of Living Index in Bozeman, MT
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Bozeman, MT Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Bozeman, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$3,151

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Bozeman, MT

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 Bozeman, MT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,151 in Bozeman, MT, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Bozeman, MT $3,151

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,553 in Bozeman, MT, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Bozeman, MT $4,553

A family of three spends $6,077 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,956 in Bozeman, MT, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Bozeman, MT $5,956

Chicago, IL costs about 1% more than Bozeman, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Bozeman, MT sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Bozeman, MT by 133%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$17.14 $17.14

25.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$74.6 $74.6

18.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$15.17 $15.17

-12.99%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$4.28 $4.28

30.61%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$3.18 $3.18

-17.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.60 $2.60

-13.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$6.90 $6.90

3.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$6.85 $6.85

34.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.00 $1.00

28.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.36 $3.36

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$7.35 $7.35

-31.02%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$6.23 $6.23

-22.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$24.87 $24.87

-43.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$9.99 $9.99

46.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$19.18 $19.18

-2.19%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.40 $4.40

17.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.42 $1.42

40.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$4.12 $4.12

-2.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$3.80 $3.80

31.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.97 $1.97

41.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.24 $2.24

18.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.35 $2.35

-9.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.19 $2.19

41.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$9.26 $9.26

73.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$15.18 $15.18

0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.69 $1.69

55.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.36 $4.36

-20.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.57 $2.57

24.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.35 $1.35

2.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$59.1 $59.1

-57.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.92 $0.92

34.78%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$31.6K $31.6K

17.58%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.4K $25.4K

1.49%

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

$192 $192

$174 $174

10.70%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$51.0 $51.0

32.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$69.2 $69.2

-12.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$68.5 $68.5

-21.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

$26.07 $26.07

7.02%

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$13.40 $13.40

32.84%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,203 $1,203

29.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$19.4K $19.4K

61.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$55.7 $55.7

21.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$32.56 $32.56

55.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$99.5 $99.5

1.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$50.5 $50.5

183.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$2,550 $2,550

-6.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,900 $1,900

-9.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$4,103 $4,103

13.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$3,153 $3,153

-13.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$6,140 $6,140

-32.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$5,891 $5,891

-54.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$4,379 $4,379

11.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.72

0.74%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bozeman, MT: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Bozeman, MT

$1.9K 60.3% 11% $188

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Bozeman, MT

$440 14% 2.6% $12

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Bozeman, MT

$305 9.7% 13.5% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Bozeman, MT

$294 9.3% 8.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Bozeman, MT

$107 3.4% 34.4% $56

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Bozeman, MT

$9.3 * 0.3% 90.2% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Bozeman, MT

$95 3% 6.9% $6.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $2,550 in Bozeman, MT. 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 12% 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 $89.0 in Chicago, IL versus $75.0 in Bozeman, MT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $440 – making Bozeman, MT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bozeman, MT

🕒 Local time

13:19 1:19 PM

12:19 12:19 PM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

53,293

💱 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 Bozeman, MT 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Bozeman, MT

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 Bozeman, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chicago, IL is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,777 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,726 in Bozeman, MT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bozeman, MT, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Chicago, IL and $75.0 in Bozeman, MT. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,185 in Chicago, IL and $3,151 in Bozeman, MT. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bozeman, MT – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Bozeman, MT. 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.