Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Burlington, NC: $2,604 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, NC
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Burlington, NC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Burlington, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,604

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,604 in Burlington, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Burlington, NC $2,604

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,784 in Burlington, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Burlington, NC $3,784

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,963 in Burlington, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Burlington, NC $4,963

Chicago, IL costs about 21% more than Burlington, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Burlington, NC sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Burlington, NC by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$18.93 $18.93

9.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$74.7 $74.7

20.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$10.89 $10.89

18.82%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.23 $5.23

7.07%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.51 $2.51

5.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.06 $2.06

10.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.14 $6.14

13.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.80 $6.80

29.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.04 $1.04

22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.57 $3.57

6.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.35 $4.35

21.84%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.22 $4.22

12.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$12.47 $12.47

11.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$11.29 $11.29

29.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$15.63 $15.63

20.09%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.02 $5.02

3.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.56 $1.56

26.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.20 $4.20

-6.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.81 $4.81

3.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.91 $2.91

-5.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.11 $2.11

5.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.08 $2.08

43.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$9.37 $9.37

49.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.08 $14.08

8.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.85 $1.85

39.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.33 $3.33

5.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.02 $2.02

22.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.40 $3.40

-1.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.65 $1.65

-13.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$28.99 $28.99

-16.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.89 $0.89

41.57%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$29.9K $29.9K

17.20%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.5K $25.5K

2.44%

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

$193 $193

$191 $191

1.10%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$52.9 $52.9

29.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$67.0 $67.0

-8.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$42.35 $42.35

27.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$13.34 $13.34

32.98%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,282 $1,282

28.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$23.7K $23.7K

30.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$51.0 $51.0

29.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$39.90 $39.90

28.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$85.3 $85.3

17.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$112 $112

25.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,632 $1,632

49.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,378 $1,378

21.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,653 $2,653

77.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,241 $2,241

24.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,740 $2,740

49.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,417 $2,417

9.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.51

4.61%

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, NC: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Burlington, NC

$1.4K 52.9% 17.9% $300

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Burlington, NC

$388 14.9% 13.6% $61

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Burlington, NC

$309 11.9% 9.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Burlington, NC

$310 11.9% 3.7% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Burlington, NC

$130 5% 19.6% $32

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Burlington, NC

$20 * 0.8% 79.2% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Burlington, NC

$69 2.7% 23% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,632 in Burlington, NC. 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $75.0 in Burlington, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $388 – making Burlington, NC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Burlington, NC

🕒 Local time

23:48 11:48 PM

00:48 12:48 AM

1 h ahead of 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

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Burlington, NC 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Burlington, NC

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, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,604 in Burlington, NC – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,907 in Burlington, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Burlington, NC, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,604 in Burlington, NC. That's a gap of about 21%.

Kindergarten costs $1,652 per month in Chicago, IL and $1,282 in Burlington, NC. 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 $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,604 in Burlington, NC. 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 $2,604 in Burlington, NC to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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