Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Broomfield, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,286 in Broomfield, CO, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Broomfield, CO outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
159

Cost of Living Index in Broomfield, CO
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Broomfield, CO Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Broomfield, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,286

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Broomfield, CO

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 Broomfield, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,286 in Broomfield, CO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Broomfield, CO $3,286

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,578 in Broomfield, CO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Broomfield, CO $4,578

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,870 in Broomfield, CO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Broomfield, CO $5,870

Chicago, IL is about 8% cheaper than Broomfield, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Broomfield, CO sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Broomfield, CO by 141%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.62 $19.62

5.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$84.0 $84.0

6.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.93 $11.93

10.56%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.92 $5.92

-4.39%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.79 $2.79

-5.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.22 $2.22

2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.09 $7.09

-3.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.09 $7.09

24.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.17 $1.17

6.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$5.45 $5.45

-31.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$7.17 $7.17

-24.83%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.23 $5.23

-9.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$16.50 $16.50

-16.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$13.34 $13.34

7.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.01 $18.01

2.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.62 $5.62

-7.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.42 $1.42

39.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.49 $4.49

-9.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.66 $4.66

6.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.58 $2.58

3.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.76 $2.76

-3.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.30 $2.30

-2.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.52 $2.52

24.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$10.09 $10.09

36.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$18.86 $18.86

-21.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.67 $2.67

-4.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.73 $4.73

-25.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.42 $3.42

-28.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.45 $3.45

-7.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.38 $1.38

0.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$24.61 $24.61

1.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.02 $1.02

17.65%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$30.4K $30.4K

15.36%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.38%

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

$194 $194

$178 $178

8.99%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$75.6 $75.6

-8.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$70.0 $70.0

-11.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$25.12 $25.12

90.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.96 $14.96

19.05%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,654 $1,654

8.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$24.5K $24.5K

30.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$64.0 $64.0

4.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$34.89 $34.89

49.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$101 $101

0.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$103 $103

39.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,349 $2,349

7.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,936 $1,936

-18.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,150 $3,150

50.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,834 $2,834

-5.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$4,911 $4,911

-14.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$3,749 $3,749

-26.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$5,702 $5,702

-13.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.72

1.34%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Broomfield, CO: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Broomfield, CO

$1.9K 58.9% 22.7% $358

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Broomfield, CO

$477 14.5% 6.6% $30

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Broomfield, CO

$333 10.2% 3.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Broomfield, CO

$324 9.9% 0.5% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Broomfield, CO

$136 4.2% 16.9% $28

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Broomfield, CO

$24 * 0.7% 74.3% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Broomfield, CO

$55 1.7% 34.1% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,349 in Broomfield, CO. 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 16% higher in Broomfield, CO. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $84 in Broomfield, CO. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $477 in Broomfield, CO – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Broomfield, CO

🕒 Local time

07:58 7:58 AM

06:58 6:58 AM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

74,112

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Broomfield, CO 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Broomfield, CO

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 Broomfield, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $3,286 in Broomfield, CO – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 8% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,929 in Broomfield, CO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $2,349 in Broomfield, CO. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $3,286 in Broomfield, CO. That makes Chicago, IL about 8% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,794 per month in Chicago, IL and $1,654 in Broomfield, CO. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $3,286 in Broomfield, CO. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $3,286 in Broomfield, CO. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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