Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Brattleboro, VT

For one person, living is cheaper in Brattleboro, VT: $1,994 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Brattleboro, VT
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Brattleboro, VT Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Brattleboro, VT

🇺🇸 United States

$1,994

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Brattleboro, VT

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 Brattleboro, VT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $1,994 in Brattleboro, VT.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Brattleboro, VT $1,994

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $3,179 in Brattleboro, VT.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Brattleboro, VT $3,179

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $4,363 in Brattleboro, VT.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Brattleboro, VT $4,363

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 52% more expensive than in Brattleboro, VT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Brattleboro, VT 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.34 $20.34

1.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$89.5 $89.5

-0.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.88 $11.88

11.03%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.24 $5.24

8.02%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.95 $2.95

-10.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.32 $2.32

-1.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$3.89 $3.89

76.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.68 $6.68

32.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.71 $0.71

76.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.17 $2.17

71.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.47 $2.47

118.22%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.24 $3.24

46.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$13.68 $13.68

1.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$6.32 $6.32

127.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$8.60 $8.60

113.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$2.80 $2.80

86.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.07 $1.07

85.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.42 $2.42

67.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.24 $3.24

53.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.54 $1.54

73.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.29 $1.29

106.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.55 $1.55

44.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.54 $1.54

103.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$10.17 $10.17

35.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$7.77 $7.77

91.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.45 $1.45

75.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.13 $1.13

210.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.66 $2.66

19.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.71 $1.71

-18.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$28.10 $28.10

-10.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.76 $0.76

57.89%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$30.3K $30.3K

15.75%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.62%

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

$194 $194

$118 $118

64.10%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$49.44 $49.44

40.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$62.2 $62.2

-0.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$15.11 $15.11

217.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$10.62 $10.62

67.70%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,572 $2,572

-30.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$35.8K $35.8K

-10.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$50.9 $50.9

31.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$51.3 $51.3

1.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$73.8 $73.8

37.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$59.3 $59.3

142.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,259 $1,259

100.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,042 $1,042

51.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,225 $2,225

113.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,085 $2,085

29.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,068 $2,068

102.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,445 $2,445

13.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,602 $3,602

36.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

13.50%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Brattleboro, VT: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Brattleboro, VT

$1K 52.3% 34% $536

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Brattleboro, VT

$253 12.7% 43.4% $194

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Brattleboro, VT

$315 15.8% 8.6% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Brattleboro, VT

$230 11.5% 29.3% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Brattleboro, VT

$106 5.3% 35.4% $58

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Brattleboro, VT

$11 * 0.6% 88% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Brattleboro, VT

$36 1.8% 56.5% $47

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 $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,259 in Brattleboro, VT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 37% 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: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $89 in Brattleboro, VT. Groceries flip the comparison at $447 vs $253, with Brattleboro, VT cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Brattleboro, VT

🕒 Local time

02:32 2:32 AM

03:32 3:32 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

12,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Brattleboro, VT 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Brattleboro, VT

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 Brattleboro, VT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brattleboro, VT wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Brattleboro, VT the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 37% 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: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,259 in Brattleboro, VT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL versus $1,994 in Brattleboro, VT – Brattleboro, VT is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Brattleboro, VT wins on affordability, Chicago, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.