Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Brownsburg, IN

For one person, living is cheaper in Brownsburg, IN: $2,372 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
114

Cost of Living Index in Brownsburg, IN
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Brownsburg, IN Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Brownsburg, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Brownsburg, IN

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 Brownsburg, IN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL versus $2,372 in Brownsburg, IN.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Brownsburg, IN $2,372

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,535 in Chicago, IL versus $3,400 in Brownsburg, IN.

Chicago, IL $4,535
Brownsburg, IN $3,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $4,429 in Brownsburg, IN.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Brownsburg, IN $4,429

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 30% more expensive than in Brownsburg, IN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 126% above, Brownsburg, IN 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$20.21 $20.21

0.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$74.5 $74.5

18.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$11.45 $11.45

12.23%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.25 $5.25

10.10%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.62 $2.62

4.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.02 $2.02

11.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$6.13 $6.13

12.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$7.22 $7.22

27.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.83 $0.83

51.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.79 $1.79

98.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.30 $4.30

25.12%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$3.01 $3.01

51.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$12.18 $12.18

12.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$8.94 $8.94

57.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$17.20 $17.20

5.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.98 $4.98

3.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.91 $1.91

3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.36 $4.36

-11.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.65 $4.65

3.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.01 $3.01

-11.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.19 $2.19

-5.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.68 $1.68

80.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$9.80 $9.80

41.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$11.93 $11.93

26.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.91 $1.91

37.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.46 $3.46

-0.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.94 $1.94

25.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$57.1 $57.1

31.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.79 $3.79

-16.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.59 $1.59

6.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$32.51 $32.51

-23.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.87 $0.87

47.13%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.6K $27.6K

29.75%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.73%

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

$192 $192

$222 $222

-13.57%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$78.8 $78.8

-11.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$86.5 $86.5

-28.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$40.52 $40.52

17.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$13.37 $13.37

33.36%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,388 $1,388

30.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$22.9K $22.9K

77.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$45.36 $45.36

45.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$40.45 $40.45

27.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$80.7 $80.7

28.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$75.8 $75.8

88.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,283 $1,283

97.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,060 $1,060

52.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$1,750 $1,750

175.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$1,598 $1,598

71.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$2,796 $2,796

48.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,053 $2,053

32.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$7,953 $7,953

-38.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.59

2.88%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Brownsburg, IN: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Brownsburg, IN

$1.1K 44.7% 34.6% $561

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Brownsburg, IN

$349 14.7% 20.5% $90

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Brownsburg, IN

$323 13.6% 6.2% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Brownsburg, IN

$387 16.3% 19.6% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Brownsburg, IN

$109 4.6% 33.3% $55

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Brownsburg, IN

$77 3.2% 20.8% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Brownsburg, IN

$67 2.8% 19.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,283 in Brownsburg, IN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brownsburg, IN pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $75 in Brownsburg, IN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $349 per month, with Brownsburg, IN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Brownsburg, IN

🕒 Local time

05:24 5:24 AM

06:24 6:24 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

18,850

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL Brownsburg, IN 250 km

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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 Brownsburg, IN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brownsburg, IN is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Chicago, IL. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,283 in Brownsburg, IN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Brownsburg, IN runs roughly 22% less than in Chicago, IL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,794 in Chicago, IL versus $1,388 in Brownsburg, IN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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 Brownsburg, IN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.