Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Brookings, SD

For one person, living is cheaper in Brookings, SD: $2,639 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Brookings, SD
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Brookings, SD Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Brookings, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Brookings, SD

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 Brookings, SD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,639 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Brookings, SD $2,639

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,597 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Brookings, SD $3,597

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,556 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Brookings, SD $4,556

Chicago, IL costs about 16% more than Brookings, SD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Brookings, SD sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Brookings, SD by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$17.36 $17.36

17.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$39.21 $39.21

125.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$11.52 $11.52

11.55%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$4.52 $4.52

27.88%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.46 $2.46

11.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.01 $2.01

12.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$5.85 $5.85

17.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$6.81 $6.81

35.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.89 $0.89

41.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.68 $3.68

-3.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$6.44 $6.44

-16.46%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$3.52 $3.52

29.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$10.38 $10.38

31.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$13.66 $13.66

3.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$12.99 $12.99

39.03%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.72 $5.72

-9.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.81 $1.81

9.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$6.61 $6.61

-41.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$5.07 $5.07

-4.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$4.46 $4.46

-37.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.27 $4.27

-37.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.28 $2.28

-9.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.03 $2.03

49.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$12.84 $12.84

8.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$12.05 $12.05

24.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.89 $2.89

-9.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$5.81 $5.81

-40.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$4.90 $4.90

-35.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.67 $1.67

1.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$23.75 $23.75

4.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.04 $1.04

23.08%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$29.6K $29.6K

21.05%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.52%

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

$192 $192

$184 $184

4.14%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$57.3 $57.3

21.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$69.4 $69.4

-10.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$12.03 $12.03

48.21%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,316 $1,316

37.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$36.7K $36.7K

10.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$42.51 $42.51

55.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$34.79 $34.79

47.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$88.7 $88.7

16.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$105 $105

36.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,715 $1,715

47.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,459 $1,459

11.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,051 $2,051

135.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,107 $2,107

29.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$2,339 $2,339

77.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,374 $2,374

14.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

5.5

23.27%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Brookings, SD: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Brookings, SD

$1.5K 55.3% 10% $162

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Brookings, SD

$421 16% 4.2% $18

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Brookings, SD

$288 10.9% 16.1% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Brookings, SD

$311 11.8% 3.9% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Brookings, SD

$122 4.6% 25.6% $42

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Brookings, SD

$13 * 0.5% 86.3% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Brookings, SD

$24 * 0.9% 71.2% $59

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,715 in Brookings, SD. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $39 in Brookings, SD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $421 – making Brookings, SD the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Brookings, SD

🕒 Local time

20:49 8:49 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

18,802

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Brookings, SD 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Brookings, SD

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 Brookings, SD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL costs about 16% more than Brookings, SD, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,958 in Brookings, SD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brookings, SD, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,715 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $39 in Brookings, SD. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,639 in Brookings, SD. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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