Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Chapel Hill, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Chapel Hill, NC: $2,762 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Chapel Hill, NC
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Chapel Hill, NC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Chapel Hill, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,762

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL versus $2,762 in Chapel Hill, NC.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Chapel Hill, NC $2,762

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,631 in Chicago, IL versus $4,394 in Chapel Hill, NC.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Chapel Hill, NC $4,394

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,077 in Chicago, IL versus $6,026 in Chapel Hill, NC.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Chapel Hill, NC $6,026

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 15% more expensive than in Chapel Hill, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 136% above, Chapel Hill, NC 105% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$18.21 $18.21

18.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$89.6 $89.6

-1.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$10.08 $10.08

30.95%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$4.88 $4.88

14.55%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.88 $2.88

-8.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.05 $2.05

10.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$6.07 $6.07

17.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$6.84 $6.84

34.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.12 $1.12

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$4.76 $4.76

-19.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$9.50 $9.50

-46.63%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$5.31 $5.31

-8.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$17.88 $17.88

-20.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$13.82 $13.82

5.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$27.57 $27.57

-31.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$8.11 $8.11

-36.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.77 $1.77

12.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$6.74 $6.74

-40.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$6.09 $6.09

-18.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$4.82 $4.82

-42.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.91 $3.91

-32.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.66 $2.66

-19.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.96 $1.96

57.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$7.91 $7.91

102.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$15.02 $15.02

1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.60 $1.60

63.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.03 $4.03

-14.14%

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

$1.97 $1.97

62.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.35 $2.35

-40.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$14.83 $14.83

68.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.98 $0.98

26.53%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$35.5K $35.5K

4.79%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$24.4K $24.4K

6.00%

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

$192 $192

$223 $223

-13.88%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$52.0 $52.0

30.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$71.5 $71.5

-14.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$79.1 $79.1

-32.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$13.55 $13.55

31.37%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,414 $1,414

9.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$9,917 $9,917

216.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$38.73 $38.73

75.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$31.35 $31.35

61.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$102 $102

-0.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$138 $138

3.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$1,741 $1,741

36.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,323 $1,323

29.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$2,816 $2,816

65.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$2,786 $2,786

-1.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$2,755 $2,755

50.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$2,717 $2,717

-0.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$5,375 $5,375

-8.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.68

1.35%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chapel Hill, NC: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Chapel Hill, NC

$1.3K 47.9% 22.7% $389

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Chapel Hill, NC

$535 19.4% 18.5% $83

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Chapel Hill, NC

$298 10.8% 15.5% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Chapel Hill, NC

$347 12.6% 8% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Chapel Hill, NC

$139 5.1% 14.8% $24

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Chapel Hill, NC

$14 * 0.5% 85.6% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Chapel Hill, NC

$106 3.8% 19.1% $17

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 $2,383 in Chicago, IL and $1,741 in Chapel Hill, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chapel Hill, NC pays 10% 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 $90.0 in Chapel Hill, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $451 vs $535 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Chapel Hill, NC

🕒 Local time

03:16 3:16 AM

04:16 4:16 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

61,960

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Chapel Hill, NC 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Chapel Hill, NC wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chapel Hill, NC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Chapel Hill, NC. 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: $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $1,741 in Chapel Hill, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Chicago, IL pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL versus $2,762 in Chapel Hill, NC – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Chapel Hill, NC is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chapel Hill, NC delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,762 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chapel Hill, NC hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Chapel Hill, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.