Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Bristol, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Bristol, VA: $2,038 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Bristol, VA
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Bristol, VA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Bristol, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,038

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Bristol, VA

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 Bristol, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $2,038 in Bristol, VA.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Bristol, VA $2,038

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $3,040 in Bristol, VA.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Bristol, VA $3,040

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $4,041 in Bristol, VA.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Bristol, VA $4,041

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 54% more expensive than in Bristol, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Bristol, VA 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$17.76 $17.76

16.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$63.9 $63.9

41.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$10.82 $10.82

19.59%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.03 $4.03

38.96%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.93 $1.93

36.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.76 $1.76

28.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$4.59 $4.59

52.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$5.90 $5.90

49.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.96 $0.96

32.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.00 $4.00

-5.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.33 $3.33

59.16%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.69 $3.69

29.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$16.25 $16.25

-14.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$15.92 $15.92

-8.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$18.05 $18.05

3.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.22 $5.22

-0.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.27 $1.27

55.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.70 $4.70

-16.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.59 $4.59

8.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.84 $3.84

-28.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.90 $2.90

-4.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.00 $2.00

11.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.34 $2.34

27.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$8.54 $8.54

64.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$15.55 $15.55

-1.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.45 $2.45

5.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.67 $3.67

-4.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.05 $3.05

9.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.91 $1.91

-25.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$29.46 $29.46

-17.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.89 $0.89

41.57%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$34.5K $34.5K

1.49%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.4K $25.4K

2.62%

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

$193 $193

$171 $171

12.47%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$67.4 $67.4

1.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$70.5 $70.5

-13.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$31.37 $31.37

72.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$15.98 $15.98

11.01%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,465 $1,465

12.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$24.8K $24.8K

25.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$50.7 $50.7

30.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$36.93 $36.93

38.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$65.5 $65.5

52.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$90.6 $90.6

55.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,107 $1,107

120.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$831 $831

101.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$1,786 $1,786

164.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,389 $1,389

101.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$1,788 $1,788

129.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$1,800 $1,800

47.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$3,025 $3,025

60.83%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Bristol, VA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Bristol, VA

$831 40.8% 50.5% $847

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Bristol, VA

$440 21.6% 2.1% $9.7

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Bristol, VA

$272 13.4% 20.7% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Bristol, VA

$309 15.2% 4% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Bristol, VA

$110 5.4% 32% $52

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Bristol, VA

$13 * 0.6% 86.8% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Bristol, VA

$63 3.1% 29.3% $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 $1,107 in Bristol, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 61% 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: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $64.0 in Bristol, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $440 per month, with Bristol, VA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bristol, VA

🕒 Local time

10:29 10:29 AM

11:29 11:29 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

17,141

💱 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 Bristol, VA 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Bristol, VA

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 Bristol, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL and Bristol, VA differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($3,139 vs $2,038 including rent). Bristol, VA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 61% 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: $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,107 in Bristol, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,652 in Chicago, IL versus $1,465 in Bristol, VA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bristol, VA – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,038 in Bristol, VA versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bristol, VA but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Bristol, VA 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 Bristol, VA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.