Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Brockton, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Brockton, MA: $2,758 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in Brockton, MA
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Brockton, MA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Brockton, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,758

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Brockton, MA

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 Brockton, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL versus $2,758 in Brockton, MA.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Brockton, MA $2,758

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,545 in Chicago, IL versus $4,009 in Brockton, MA.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Brockton, MA $4,009

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,019 in Chicago, IL versus $5,260 in Brockton, MA.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Brockton, MA $5,260

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 11% more expensive than in Brockton, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 127% above, Brockton, MA 104% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$15.25 $15.25

33.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$93.8 $93.8

-5.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$7.45 $7.45

72.48%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.54 $5.54

4.33%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.42 $2.42

13.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.47 $1.47

53.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$5.13 $5.13

34.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$8.06 $8.06

14.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.05 $1.05

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.91 $3.91

-9.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$5.36 $5.36

0.37%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$4.70 $4.70

-3.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$11.50 $11.50

18.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$14.22 $14.22

-1.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$17.43 $17.43

3.61%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$6.53 $6.53

-20.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.72 $1.72

15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$6.73 $6.73

-42.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$5.44 $5.44

-11.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.75 $2.75

2.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.49 $4.49

-40.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.37 $2.37

-12.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.04 $2.04

48.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$13.45 $13.45

3.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.28 $14.28

5.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.14 $2.14

22.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.93 $3.93

-12.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.03 $2.03

19.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$60.9 $60.9

23.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$4.07 $4.07

-22.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.54 $2.54

-33.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$39.85 $39.85

-37.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.03 $1.03

24.27%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.7K $27.7K

29.17%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.36%

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

$192 $192

$323 $323

-40.53%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$65.1 $65.1

6.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$83.8 $83.8

-25.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$39.25 $39.25

21.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$14.61 $14.61

22.04%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,846 $1,846

-1.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$7,953 $7,953

410.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$57.6 $57.6

15.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$38.09 $38.09

34.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$78.9 $78.9

31.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$102 $102

40.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,558 $1,558

62.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,296 $1,296

25.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,529 $2,529

90.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,099 $2,099

30.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$2,870 $2,870

45.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,154 $2,154

26.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$4,366 $4,366

12.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.64

2.11%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Brockton, MA: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Brockton, MA

$1.3K 47% 20.1% $325

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Brockton, MA

$443 16.1% 0.9% $3.9

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Brockton, MA

$268 9.7% 22.1% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Brockton, MA

$472 17.1% 45.7% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Brockton, MA

$124 4.5% 24.1% $39

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Brockton, MA

$86 3.1% 11.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Brockton, MA

$68 2.5% 17.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,531 in Chicago, IL and $1,558 in Brockton, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 13% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $94 in Brockton, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $439 vs $443 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Brockton, MA

🕒 Local time

12:03 12:03 PM

13:03 1:03 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

94,191

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Brockton, MA 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Brockton, MA

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 Brockton, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brockton, MA wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Brockton, MA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,558 in Brockton, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Brockton, MA runs roughly 19% less than in Chicago, IL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL versus $2,758 in Brockton, MA – Brockton, MA is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Brockton, MA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 – Brockton, MA wins on affordability, Chicago, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.