Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Chicago, IL and in Burlington, VT: $3,072 and $3,098 a month, rent and utilities included.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, VT
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Burlington, VT Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Burlington, VT

🇺🇸 United States

$3,098

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL versus $3,098 in Burlington, VT.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Burlington, VT $3,098

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,545 in Chicago, IL versus $4,642 in Burlington, VT.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Burlington, VT $4,642

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,019 in Chicago, IL versus $6,187 in Burlington, VT.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Burlington, VT $6,187

Monthly costs are close between Chicago, IL and Burlington, VT; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 127% above, Burlington, VT 129% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$22.36 $22.36

-8.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$79.7 $79.7

11.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$12.21 $12.21

5.24%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.03 $5.03

14.91%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.89 $2.89

-5.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.37 $2.37

-4.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$8.15 $8.15

-15.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$8.22 $8.22

12.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.59 $4.59

-22.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$5.91 $5.91

-8.97%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$4.48 $4.48

1.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$15.38 $15.38

-11.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$12.25 $12.25

14.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$19.07 $19.07

-5.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$7.25 $7.25

-28.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.03 $2.03

-2.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$5.49 $5.49

-29.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$7.37 $7.37

-34.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$4.41 $4.41

-36.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.95 $3.95

-32.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$3.02 $3.02

-31.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.85 $2.85

6.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$12.26 $12.26

13.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.20 $15.20

-0.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.78 $1.78

47.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$4.46 $4.46

-22.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.98 $1.98

22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$50.8 $50.8

48.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.55 $2.55

24.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.79 $1.79

-5.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$27.73 $27.73

-10.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.14 $1.14

12.28%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.3K $27.3K

31.03%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.75%

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

$192 $192

$151 $151

27.22%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$55.6 $55.6

25.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$62.1 $62.1

0.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$64.0 $64.0

-25.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

$28.22 $28.22

-3.97%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$12.15 $12.15

46.75%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,267 $1,267

43.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$21.1K $21.1K

92.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$59.7 $59.7

10.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$51.3 $51.3

0.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$70.2 $70.2

47.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$155 $155

-7.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$2,426 $2,426

4.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,678 $1,678

-3.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$3,601 $3,601

34.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,943 $2,943

-7.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$3,831 $3,831

8.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$3,217 $3,217

-15.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$4,442 $4,442

10.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.7

1.19%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Burlington, VT: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Burlington, VT

$1.7K 54.2% 3.5% $57

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Burlington, VT

$487 15.7% 11% $48

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Burlington, VT

$354 11.4% 2.9% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Burlington, VT

$269 8.7% 17% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Burlington, VT

$151 4.9% 7.6% $12

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Burlington, VT

$70 2.3% 27.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Burlington, VT

$88 2.9% 5.8% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,531 in Chicago, IL and $2,426 in Burlington, VT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 11% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $80 in Burlington, VT. Groceries flip the comparison at $439 vs $487, with Chicago, IL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Burlington, VT

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

03:03 3:03 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

44,743

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Burlington, VT 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Burlington, VT

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, VT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 11% 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: $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $2,426 in Burlington, VT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,815 in Chicago, IL versus $1,267 in Burlington, VT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Burlington, VT – a meal for two runs $80 versus $89 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Chicago, IL 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.