Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Cape Carteret, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Carteret, NC: $2,709 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Cape Carteret, NC
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Cape Carteret, NC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Cape Carteret, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,709

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,709 in Cape Carteret, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Cape Carteret, NC $2,709

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,716 in Cape Carteret, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Cape Carteret, NC $3,716

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,722 in Cape Carteret, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Cape Carteret, NC $4,722

Chicago, IL costs about 16% more than Cape Carteret, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Cape Carteret, NC sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Cape Carteret, NC by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$17.95 $17.95

15.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$89.1 $89.1

1.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$12.15 $12.15

6.50%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.91 $5.91

-5.25%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.78 $2.78

-5.04%

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

$6.04 $6.04

15.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.95 $6.95

27.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.04 $1.04

22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.20 $3.20

18.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.82 $4.82

-1.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$10.38 $10.38

34.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$10.04 $10.04

45.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$18.65 $18.65

0.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$2.47 $2.47

110.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.61 $1.61

22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.94 $4.94

-20.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.81 $5.81

-14.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.24 $2.24

23.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$4.43 $4.43

-37.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.78 $1.78

24.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.33 $2.33

27.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$9.47 $9.47

48.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$12.12 $12.12

26.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.84 $1.84

40.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.12 $2.12

65.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.81 $1.81

36.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$4.61 $4.61

-27.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.32 $1.32

8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$20.14 $20.14

20.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.00 $1.00

26.00%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.7K $27.7K

26.43%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.3K $26.3K

-0.72%

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

$193 $193

$211 $211

-8.82%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$59.8 $59.8

14.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$67.3 $67.3

-8.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$44.20 $44.20

22.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$9.13 $9.13

94.30%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,596 $1,596

3.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$16.1K $16.1K

93.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$61.0 $61.0

8.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$47.26 $47.26

8.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$116 $116

-13.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$111 $111

27.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,643 $1,643

48.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,446 $1,446

16.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,879 $2,879

63.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,870 $1,870

49.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$3,119 $3,119

31.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,615 $2,615

1.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

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 Cape Carteret, NC: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Cape Carteret, NC

$1.4K 53.4% 13.8% $232

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Cape Carteret, NC

$379 14% 15.6% $70

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Cape Carteret, NC

$314 11.6% 8.5% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Cape Carteret, NC

$338 12.5% 5% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Cape Carteret, NC

$151 5.6% 6.5% $10

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Cape Carteret, NC

$18 * 0.7% 80.6% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Cape Carteret, NC

$62 2.3% 30.3% $27

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 $1,643 in Cape Carteret, 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 $89.0 in Cape Carteret, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $379 – making Cape Carteret, NC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Cape Carteret, NC

🕒 Local time

23:50 11:50 PM

00:50 12:50 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

2,000

💱 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 Cape Carteret, NC 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Chicago, IL is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,064 in Cape Carteret, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Carteret, 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 $2,709 in Cape Carteret, NC. That's a gap of about 16%.

Kindergarten costs $1,652 per month in Chicago, IL and $1,596 in Cape Carteret, NC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,709 in Cape Carteret, NC. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Cape Carteret, NC – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Cape Carteret, 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.