Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Cabot, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabot, AR: $2,048 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 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
98

Cost of Living Index in Cabot, AR
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Cabot, AR Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Cabot, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,048

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Cabot, AR

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $2,048 in Cabot, AR.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Cabot, AR $2,048

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $3,118 in Cabot, AR.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Cabot, AR $3,118

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $4,187 in Cabot, AR.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Cabot, AR $4,187

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 53% more expensive than in Cabot, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Cabot, AR 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$12.61 $12.61

63.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$75.7 $75.7

19.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$12.57 $12.57

2.94%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$6.09 $6.09

-8.05%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.32 $2.32

13.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.98 $1.98

14.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.07 $6.07

14.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.20 $7.20

22.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.98 $0.98

29.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.62 $3.62

4.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.44 $4.44

19.37%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.28 $4.28

11.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$12.49 $12.49

11.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$11.62 $11.62

25.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$17.29 $17.29

8.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.07 $5.07

2.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.65 $1.65

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.25 $4.25

-7.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.59 $4.59

8.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.73 $2.73

1.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.01 $3.01

-8.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.13 $2.13

4.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.20 $2.20

35.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$9.98 $9.98

40.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$13.04 $13.04

17.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.19 $2.19

17.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.60 $3.60

-2.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.21 $2.21

11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.28 $3.28

1.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.78 $1.78

-19.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$26.82 $26.82

-9.32%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

18.78%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.4K $26.4K

-1.33%

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

$193 $193

$199 $199

-2.97%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$58.7 $58.7

16.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$70.4 $70.4

-12.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$41.95 $41.95

29.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$14.16 $14.16

25.28%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,553 $1,553

6.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$21.2K $21.2K

46.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$53.6 $53.6

23.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$40.42 $40.42

26.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$87.2 $87.2

14.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$115 $115

23.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,107 $1,107

121.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$826 $826

103.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$1,995 $1,995

136.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,488 $1,488

87.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,705 $2,705

51.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,369 $2,369

11.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$3,005 $3,005

61.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.57

3.65%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cabot, AR: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Cabot, AR

$826 40.3% 50.8% $852

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Cabot, AR

$397 19.4% 11.7% $53

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Cabot, AR

$274 13.4% 20.3% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Cabot, AR

$328 16% 1.7% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Cabot, AR

$133 6.5% 17.5% $28

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Cabot, AR

$21 * 1% 77.9% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Cabot, AR

$70 3.4% 21.6% $19

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 $2,446 in Chicago, IL and $1,107 in Cabot, AR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 62% 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 $76.0 in Cabot, AR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $397 per month, with Cabot, AR cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Cabot, AR

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

23,776

💱 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 Cabot, AR 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Cabot, AR

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 Cabot, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cabot, AR is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 62% 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 $1,107 in Cabot, AR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,652 in Chicago, IL versus $1,553 in Cabot, AR. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cabot, AR – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,048 in Cabot, AR versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cabot, AR but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Cabot, AR the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cabot, AR is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chicago, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chicago, IL and Cabot, AR 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 Cabot, AR gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.