Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Burlington, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Burlington, IA: $1,769 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, IA
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Burlington, IA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Burlington, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,769

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Burlington, IA

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 Burlington, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $1,769 in Burlington, IA.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Burlington, IA $1,769

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $2,675 in Burlington, IA.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Burlington, IA $2,675

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $3,580 in Burlington, IA.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Burlington, IA $3,580

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 77% more expensive than in Burlington, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Burlington, IA 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$11.35 $11.35

81.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$59.1 $59.1

52.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$8.84 $8.84

46.38%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.74 $4.74

18.14%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.95 $1.95

35.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.02 $2.02

12.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$3.41 $3.41

104.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$4.58 $4.58

92.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.81 $0.81

56.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.82 $2.82

34.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.34 $4.34

22.12%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$2.92 $2.92

63.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$11.37 $11.37

22.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$11.93 $11.93

22.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$14.20 $14.20

32.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.02 $4.02

29.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.61 $4.61

-14.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.65 $4.65

6.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.74 $2.74

0.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.60 $2.60

6.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.54 $1.54

44.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.06 $2.06

44.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$8.16 $8.16

71.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$16.29 $16.29

-6.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.89 $1.89

36.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.27 $2.27

54.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.94 $1.94

27.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

$15.76 $15.76

374.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$4.67 $4.67

-28.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.02 $1.02

40.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$22.19 $22.19

9.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.94 $0.94

34.04%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$22.7K $22.7K

54.02%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.0K $25.0K

4.36%

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

$193 $193

$184 $184

4.67%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$47.16 $47.16

44.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$59.2 $59.2

3.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$42.42 $42.42

27.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$11.92 $11.92

48.83%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,210 $1,210

36.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$13.3K $13.3K

133.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$44.72 $44.72

47.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$30.53 $30.53

67.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$87.0 $87.0

15.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$37.90 $37.90

271.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$754 $754

224.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$707 $707

137.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$1,172 $1,172

302.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,280 $1,280

118.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$1,026 $1,026

299.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$1,033 $1,033

156.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$4,446 $4,446

9.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.54

4.13%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Burlington, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Burlington, IA

$707 40% 57.9% $971

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Burlington, IA

$366 20.7% 18.5% $83

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Burlington, IA

$216 12.2% 37% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Burlington, IA

$290 16.4% 9.9% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Burlington, IA

$90 5.1% 44.1% $71

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Burlington, IA

$33 1.9% 65% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Burlington, IA

$66 3.7% 26% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,446 in Chicago, IL and $754 in Burlington, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 9% 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: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $59.0 in Burlington, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $366 per month, with Burlington, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Burlington, IA

🕒 Local time

20:00 8:00 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

44,743

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Burlington, IA 310 km

From you

Chicago, IL
Burlington, IA

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 Burlington, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burlington, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Burlington, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $754 in Burlington, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,652 in Chicago, IL versus $1,210 in Burlington, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,769 in Burlington, IA versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Burlington, IA but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Burlington, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Burlington, IA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,769 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Burlington, IA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chicago, IL and Burlington, IA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Burlington, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.