Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Cedar City, UT

For one person, living is cheaper in Cedar City, UT: $2,279 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Cedar City, UT
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Cedar City, UT Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Cedar City, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,279

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Cedar City, UT

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 Cedar City, UT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $2,279 in Cedar City, UT.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Cedar City, UT $2,279

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $3,568 in Cedar City, UT.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Cedar City, UT $3,568

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $4,858 in Cedar City, UT.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Cedar City, UT $4,858

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 33% more expensive than in Cedar City, UT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Cedar City, UT 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$23.83 $23.83

-13.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$80.6 $80.6

10.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$14.84 $14.84

-11.12%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.41 $6.41

-11.70%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$4.73 $4.73

-44.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$3.05 $3.05

-25.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.03 $6.03

13.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$10.95 $10.95

-19.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.08 $1.08

15.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.55 $3.55

4.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.29 $4.29

25.64%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.71 $3.71

27.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$18.44 $18.44

-24.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$15.63 $15.63

-7.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.08 $18.08

1.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$8.01 $8.01

-34.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.34 $2.34

-15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$7.86 $7.86

-48.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.75 $3.75

32.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.69 $1.69

57.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.38 $2.38

11.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.25 $2.25

-0.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.25 $2.25

39.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$12.78 $12.78

8.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$21.69 $21.69

-31.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.87 $1.87

35.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.69 $4.69

-25.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$5.11 $5.11

-52.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$40.21 $40.21

82.86%

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

$0.89 $0.89

34.83%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$36.9K $36.9K

-5.08%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.0K $25.0K

6.87%

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

$194 $194

$173 $173

12.58%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$32.82 $32.82

111.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$57.3 $57.3

7.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$55.9 $55.9

-14.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$11.54 $11.54

54.33%

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

$1,794 $1,794

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$57.8 $57.8

15.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$50.7 $50.7

2.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$99.9 $99.9

1.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$151 $151

-4.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,061 $1,061

138.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$842 $842

87.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,898 $1,898

149.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,620 $1,620

66.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,693 $2,693

55.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,653 $2,653

4.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,495 $3,495

41.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

7.19

-5.29%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cedar City, UT: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Cedar City, UT

$842 36.9% 46.7% $737

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Cedar City, UT

$478 21% 6.9% $31

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Cedar City, UT

$395 17.3% 14.6% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Cedar City, UT

$263 11.5% 19.3% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Cedar City, UT

$162 7.1% 1.3% $2.2

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Cedar City, UT

$61 * 2.7% 35% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Cedar City, UT

$79 3.5% 5.4% $4.5

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 $1,061 in Cedar City, UT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 41% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $81 in Cedar City, UT. Groceries flip the comparison at $447 vs $478, with Chicago, IL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Cedar City, UT

🕒 Local time

07:55 7:55 AM

06:55 6:55 AM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

28,857

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Cedar City, UT 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Cedar City, UT

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 Cedar City, UT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cedar City, UT is about 25% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 41% 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: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,061 in Cedar City, UT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cedar City, UT – a meal for two runs $81 versus $89 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Cedar City, UT runs roughly 45% less than in Chicago, IL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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.

It comes down to priorities – Cedar City, UT wins on affordability, Chicago, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.