Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Burnsville, NC: $2,546 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Burnsville, NC
Learn more

Burnsville, NC Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Burnsville, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Burnsville, 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 Burnsville, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,546 in Burnsville, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Burnsville, NC $2,546

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

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

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,023 in Burnsville, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Burnsville, NC $5,023

Chicago, IL costs about 23% more than Burnsville, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Burnsville, NC sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Burnsville, NC by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$18.21 $18.21

13.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$75.2 $75.2

19.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$10.94 $10.94

18.28%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.31 $5.31

5.46%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.06 $1.06

149.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$0.95 $0.95

138.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.86 $5.86

19.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$3.58 $3.58

146.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.03 $1.03

23.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.00 $4.00

-5.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.18 $3.18

66.67%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.45 $4.45

6.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$16.45 $16.45

-15.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$15.98 $15.98

-8.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$18.24 $18.24

2.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.20 $5.20

-0.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.42 $1.42

39.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.68 $4.68

-16.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.62 $4.62

7.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.81 $3.81

-27.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.08 $3.08

-10.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.04 $2.04

8.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.25 $2.25

32.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$8.97 $8.97

56.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$15.39 $15.39

-0.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.33 $2.33

10.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.65 $3.65

-4.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.93 $1.93

27.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.06 $3.06

9.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.84 $1.84

-22.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$29.77 $29.77

-18.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.96 $0.96

31.25%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$35.5K $35.5K

-1.51%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.2K $25.2K

3.27%

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

$193 $193

$116 $116

65.85%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$67.1 $67.1

1.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$80.5 $80.5

-23.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$46.26 $46.26

16.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$15.83 $15.83

12.07%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,495 $1,495

10.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$25.0K $25.0K

24.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$51.6 $51.6

28.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$37.65 $37.65

36.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$93.8 $93.8

6.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$143 $143

-1.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,605 $1,605

52.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,307 $1,307

28.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,485 $2,485

89.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,185 $2,185

27.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,851 $2,851

44.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,102 $2,102

26.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.48

5.09%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Burnsville, 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%

Burnsville, NC

$1.3K 51.3% 22.1% $371

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Burnsville, NC

$444 17.4% 1.3% $5.8

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Burnsville, NC

$287 11.3% 16.5% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Burnsville, NC

$264 10.4% 18.1% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Burnsville, NC

$147 5.8% 8.9% $14

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Burnsville, NC

$20 * 0.8% 79% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Burnsville, NC

$78 3.1% 13% $12

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 $1,605 in Burnsville, 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 Burnsville, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $444 – making Burnsville, NC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Burnsville, NC

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

05:33 5:33 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

60,306

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Burnsville, NC 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Burnsville, 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 Burnsville, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL costs about 23% more than Burnsville, NC, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,819 in Burnsville, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Burnsville, 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 $2,546 in Burnsville, NC. That's a gap of about 23%.

Kindergarten costs $1,652 per month in Chicago, IL and $1,495 in Burnsville, NC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,546 in Burnsville, NC. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Burnsville, NC costs $2,546 versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Burnsville, 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.