Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bradley, IL: $2,340 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Bradley, IL
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Bradley, IL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Bradley, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Bradley, IL

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 Bradley, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $2,340 in Bradley, IL.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Bradley, IL $2,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $3,428 in Bradley, IL.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Bradley, IL $3,428

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $4,517 in Bradley, IL.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Bradley, IL $4,517

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 34% more expensive than in Bradley, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Bradley, IL 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$14.80 $14.80

39.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$62.6 $62.6

44.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$7.84 $7.84

65.05%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.61 $5.61

-0.18%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.16 $2.16

22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.13 $1.13

100.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.37 $5.37

29.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$4.93 $4.93

79.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.98 $0.98

29.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.38 $2.38

59.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.08 $4.08

29.90%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.94 $3.94

20.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$12.33 $12.33

13.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$15.71 $15.71

-7.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$16.47 $16.47

13.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.91 $5.91

-12.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.41 $2.41

-17.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.99 $3.99

-1.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.32 $5.32

-6.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.24 $3.24

-14.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.73 $2.73

1.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.02 $2.02

9.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.99 $1.99

49.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$12.16 $12.16

15.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.67 $14.67

4.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.15 $2.15

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.06 $4.06

-13.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.83 $1.83

34.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$5.57 $5.57

-40.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.90 $2.90

-50.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$17.19 $17.19

41.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.12 $1.12

12.50%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.6K $27.6K

26.98%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.4K $26.4K

-1.19%

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

$193 $193

$219 $219

-12.19%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$51.7 $51.7

32.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$64.9 $64.9

-5.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$44.30 $44.30

22.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$9.56 $9.56

85.56%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,228 $1,228

34.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$12.4K $12.4K

150.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$46.39 $46.39

42.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$24.79 $24.79

106.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$58.5 $58.5

71.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$50.2 $50.2

180.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,476 $1,476

65.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,161 $1,161

44.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,202 $2,202

114.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,977 $1,977

41.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,548 $2,548

61.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,217 $2,217

19.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.82

-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 Bradley, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Bradley, IL

$1.2K 49.6% 30.8% $517

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Bradley, IL

$413 17.6% 8.2% $37

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Bradley, IL

$259 11.1% 24.6% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Bradley, IL

$336 14.4% 4.3% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Bradley, IL

$81 3.5% 49.8% $80

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Bradley, IL

$27 * 1.2% 71.2% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Bradley, IL

$63 2.7% 29.2% $26

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 $1,476 in Bradley, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $63.0 in Bradley, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $413 per month, with Bradley, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bradley, IL

🕒 Local time

22:16 10:16 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

15,419

💱 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 Bradley, IL 84 km

From you

Chicago, IL
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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 Bradley, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL and Bradley, IL differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($3,139 vs $2,340 including rent). Bradley, IL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,708 in Chicago, IL and $3,510 in Bradley, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,476 in Bradley, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,652 in Chicago, IL versus $1,228 in Bradley, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bradley, IL – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,340 in Bradley, IL versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bradley, IL but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Bradley, IL 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 Bradley, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.