Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Brevard, NC: $2,610 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Brevard, NC
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Brevard, NC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Brevard, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Brevard, 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 Brevard, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,610 in Brevard, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Brevard, NC $2,610

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,864 in Brevard, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Brevard, NC $3,864

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,119 in Brevard, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Brevard, NC $5,119

Chicago, IL costs about 16% more than Brevard, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Brevard, NC sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Brevard, NC by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$18.11 $18.11

14.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$75.0 $75.0

18.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.21 $11.21

17.66%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.58 $5.58

1.43%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.75 $2.75

-4.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.17 $2.17

5.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.04 $6.04

13.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.59 $7.59

16.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.00 $1.00

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.19 $4.19

-11.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.21 $3.21

67.91%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.48 $4.48

5.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$16.80 $16.80

-17.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$16.08 $16.08

-10.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.14 $18.14

1.32%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.40 $5.40

-3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.48 $1.48

33.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.50 $4.50

-9.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.63 $4.63

7.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.67 $3.67

-27.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.17 $3.17

-16.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.98 $1.98

13.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.25 $2.25

39.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.73 $8.73

58.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.65 $15.65

-4.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.33 $2.33

9.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.64 $3.64

-3.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.01 $2.01

20.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$51.6 $51.6

42.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.07 $3.07

3.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.81 $1.81

-23.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$29.98 $29.98

-16.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.97 $0.97

23.71%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$34.6K $34.6K

1.28%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.9K $25.9K

2.88%

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

$194 $194

$122 $122

58.88%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$68.6 $68.6

1.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$79.6 $79.6

-22.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$42.20 $42.20

13.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$16.20 $16.20

9.94%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,455 $1,455

23.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$25.1K $25.1K

27.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$51.3 $51.3

30.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$36.64 $36.64

42.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$93.9 $93.9

8.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$143 $143

0.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,599 $1,599

58.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,289 $1,289

22.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,485 $2,485

90.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,129 $2,129

26.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,731 $2,731

53.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,344 $2,344

18.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,475 $4,475

10.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.48

5.09%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Brevard, NC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Brevard, NC

$1.3K 49.4% 18.3% $289

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Brevard, NC

$447 17.1% 0% $0.1

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Brevard, NC

$311 11.9% 9.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Brevard, NC

$271 10.4% 16.9% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Brevard, NC

$146 5.6% 10.9% $18

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Brevard, NC

$72 2.8% 23.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Brevard, NC

$75 2.9% 10.7% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,599 in Brevard, NC. 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 10% 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 in Chicago, IL versus $75 in Brevard, NC. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $447 in Brevard, NC – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Brevard, NC

🕒 Local time

20:55 8:55 PM

21:55 9:55 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

7,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Brevard, NC 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Brevard, 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 Brevard, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,610 in Brevard, NC – Brevard, NC comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,914 in Brevard, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brevard, NC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,599 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,610 in Brevard, NC. That makes Brevard, NC about 14% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,794 per month in Chicago, IL and $1,455 in Brevard, NC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Brevard, NC, where all-in costs run around $2,610, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Brevard, NC it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Brevard, NC. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.