Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Bullhead City, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Bullhead City, AZ: $2,135 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Bullhead City, AZ
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Bullhead City, AZ Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Bullhead City, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,135

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Bullhead City, AZ

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 Bullhead City, AZ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $2,135 in Bullhead City, AZ.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Bullhead City, AZ $2,135

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $3,334 in Bullhead City, AZ.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Bullhead City, AZ $3,334

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $4,533 in Bullhead City, AZ.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Bullhead City, AZ $4,533

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 42% more expensive than in Bullhead City, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Bullhead City, AZ 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$24.98 $24.98

-17.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$60.7 $60.7

46.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.96 $9.96

32.43%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.48 $5.48

3.28%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.83 $2.83

-6.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.50 $1.50

52.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.86 $4.86

41.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$5.68 $5.68

55.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.04 $1.04

20.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.01 $4.01

-7.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.96 $2.96

82.09%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.23 $4.23

12.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$14.16 $14.16

-2.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$7.58 $7.58

89.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$8.63 $8.63

112.98%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.02 $5.02

3.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.14 $2.14

-7.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.36 $3.36

20.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.28 $4.28

16.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.57 $4.57

-41.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.63 $3.63

-26.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.18 $2.18

2.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.21 $2.21

41.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.64 $11.64

18.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$10.11 $10.11

47.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.60 $1.60

58.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.78 $2.78

26.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.47 $3.47

-8.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.82 $1.82

-23.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$24.39 $24.39

2.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.11 $1.11

8.11%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$29.8K $29.8K

17.58%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.5K $26.5K

0.81%

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

$194 $194

$245 $245

-20.51%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$69.1 $69.1

0.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$52.7 $52.7

16.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$27.00 $27.00

77.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$6.95 $6.95

156.26%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$536 $536

234.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$8,524 $8,524

274.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$19.68 $19.68

240.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$34.64 $34.64

50.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$59.8 $59.8

69.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$89.3 $89.3

60.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,135 $1,135

122.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$927 $927

70.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,999 $1,999

137.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,963 $1,963

37.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,518 $3,518

40.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.68

1.95%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bullhead City, AZ: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Bullhead City, AZ

$927 43.4% 41.2% $651

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Bullhead City, AZ

$348 16.3% 22.1% $99

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Bullhead City, AZ

$349 16.3% 1.1% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Bullhead City, AZ

$366 17.2% 12.5% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Bullhead City, AZ

$92 4.3% 44.2% $72

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Bullhead City, AZ

$13 * 0.6% 86.5% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Bullhead City, AZ

$41 1.9% 51% $43

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 $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,135 in Bullhead City, AZ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 40% 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: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $61 in Bullhead City, AZ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $348 per month, with Bullhead City, AZ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bullhead City, AZ

🕒 Local time

20:26 8:26 PM

18:26 6:26 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

40,024

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Bullhead City, AZ 2,450 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Bullhead City, AZ

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 Bullhead City, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bullhead City, AZ wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bullhead City, AZ the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 40% 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: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,135 in Bullhead City, AZ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL versus $2,135 in Bullhead City, AZ – Bullhead City, AZ is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Bullhead City, AZ 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 – Bullhead City, AZ wins on affordability, Chicago, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.