Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Cary, NC: $2,871 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Cary, NC
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Cary, NC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Cary, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,871

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $2,871 in Cary, NC.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Cary, NC $2,871

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $4,202 in Cary, NC.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Cary, NC $4,202

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $5,532 in Cary, NC.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Cary, NC $5,532

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 6% more expensive than in Cary, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Cary, NC 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.79 $19.79

4.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$101 $101

-11.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.32 $10.32

27.81%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.09 $5.09

11.20%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.11 $2.11

25.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.92 $1.92

18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.39 $4.39

56.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.34 $6.34

39.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.00 $1.00

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$5.52 $5.52

-32.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.90 $5.90

-8.64%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.23 $4.23

12.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$18.17 $18.17

-23.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$17.20 $17.20

-16.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.71 $17.71

3.78%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.00 $6.00

-13.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.87 $1.87

5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.61 $3.61

12.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.68 $6.68

-25.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.18 $3.18

-16.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$4.35 $4.35

-38.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.83 $2.83

-20.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.37 $2.37

32.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.89 $9.89

39.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$10.22 $10.22

45.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.28 $2.28

11.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.97 $3.97

-11.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.54 $2.54

-4.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$80.9 $80.9

-9.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.87 $0.87

37.93%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$29.2K $29.2K

-8.74%

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

$194 $194

$184 $184

5.77%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$48.24 $48.24

43.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$68.0 $68.0

-9.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$77.0 $77.0

-37.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$22.39 $22.39

22.11%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.06 $15.06

18.26%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,466 $1,466

22.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$64.3 $64.3

4.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$32.17 $32.17

62.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$119 $119

-14.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$135 $135

6.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,937 $1,937

30.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,427 $1,427

10.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,639 $2,639

79.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,167 $2,167

24.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,869 $2,869

46.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,638 $2,638

4.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$6,077 $6,077

-18.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.42

6.07%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cary, NC: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Cary, NC

$1.4K 49.7% 9.6% $151

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Cary, NC

$486 16.9% 8.7% $39

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Cary, NC

$301 10.5% 12.7% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Cary, NC

$300 10.5% 7.8% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Cary, NC

$158 5.5% 3.7% $6.1

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Cary, NC

$91 * 3.2% 2.5% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Cary, NC

$107 3.7% 28.3% $24

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 $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,937 in Cary, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cary, NC pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $101 in Cary, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $486 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Cary, NC

🕒 Local time

01:03 1:03 AM

02:03 2:03 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

176,987

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Cary, NC 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Cary, NC is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Chicago, IL. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,937 in Cary, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,794 in Chicago, IL versus $1,466 in Cary, NC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Chicago, IL pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Cary, NC 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.