Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Castle Rock, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Castle Rock, CO: $1,253 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Castle Rock, CO
Learn more

Castle Rock, CO Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Castle Rock, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$1,253

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Castle Rock, CO

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 Castle Rock, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL versus $1,253 in Castle Rock, CO.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Castle Rock, CO $1,253

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,631 in Chicago, IL versus $1,980 in Castle Rock, CO.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Castle Rock, CO $1,980

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,077 in Chicago, IL versus $2,706 in Castle Rock, CO.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Castle Rock, CO $2,706

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 154% more expensive than in Castle Rock, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chicago, IL is 136% above, Castle Rock, CO is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$22.63 $22.63

-4.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$64.0 $64.0

38.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$9.25 $9.25

42.70%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$5.46 $5.46

2.38%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.49 $2.49

5.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.88 $1.88

20.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$6.79 $6.79

4.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$6.13 $6.13

50.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.99 $0.99

29.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.92 $2.92

31.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$2.80 $2.80

81.07%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$4.15 $4.15

16.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$11.14 $11.14

27.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$9.44 $9.44

54.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$19.20 $19.20

-2.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.84 $4.84

7.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.46 $1.46

36.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.74 $3.74

6.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.25 $5.25

-5.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.92 $2.92

-4.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.20 $3.20

-17.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.31 $1.31

62.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.72 $1.72

79.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$10.17 $10.17

57.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$11.81 $11.81

28.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.58 $2.58

1.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.74 $2.74

26.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.47 $2.47

29.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.90 $1.90

-26.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$24.81 $24.81

0.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.79 $0.79

56.96%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$35.9K $35.9K

3.71%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.2K $25.2K

2.45%

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

$192 $192

$210 $210

-8.60%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$39.60 $39.60

71.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$71.3 $71.3

-14.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$59.0 $59.0

-9.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$12.17 $12.17

46.26%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,318 $1,318

17.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$17.6K $17.6K

77.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$54.4 $54.4

24.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$50.7 $50.7

0.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$81.5 $81.5

24.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$117 $117

22.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$5,904 $5,904

-17.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Castle Rock, CO: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Castle Rock, CO

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Castle Rock, CO

$362 28.9% 19.7% $89

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Castle Rock, CO

$338 27% 4.2% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Castle Rock, CO

$321 25.6% 0.1% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Castle Rock, CO

$137 10.9% 16.4% $27

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Castle Rock, CO

$12 * 1% 87.4% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Castle Rock, CO

$83 6.7% 6.6% $5.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Castle Rock, CO pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $89.0 in Chicago, IL vs $64.0 in Castle Rock, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $451 vs $362 per month, with Castle Rock, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Castle Rock, CO

🕒 Local time

23:27 11:27 PM

22:27 10:27 PM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

73,158

💱 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 Castle Rock, CO 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Castle Rock, CO

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 Castle Rock, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL and Castle Rock, CO differ by about 154% in total monthly costs ($3,185 vs $1,253 including rent). Castle Rock, CO is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Castle Rock, CO. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL versus $1,253 in Castle Rock, CO – a 154% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,253 in Castle Rock, CO versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Castle Rock, CO but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Castle Rock, CO the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Chicago, IL and Castle Rock, CO 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 Castle Rock, CO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 154% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.