Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Charlottesville, VA

For one person, living costs are similar in Chicago, IL and in Charlottesville, VA: $3,037 and $3,027 a month, rent and utilities included.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Charlottesville, VA
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Charlottesville, VA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Charlottesville, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,027

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Charlottesville, VA

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 Charlottesville, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $3,027 in Charlottesville, VA.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Charlottesville, VA $3,027

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $4,500 in Charlottesville, VA.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Charlottesville, VA $4,500

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $5,973 in Charlottesville, VA.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Charlottesville, VA $5,973

Monthly costs are close between Chicago, IL and Charlottesville, VA; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Charlottesville, VA 122% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.93 $19.93

3.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$98.8 $98.8

-9.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.96 $12.96

1.77%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.49 $4.49

26.06%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.73 $2.73

-3.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.95 $1.95

16.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.53 $6.53

5.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$5.83 $5.83

51.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.17 $1.17

6.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.68 $3.68

1.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$6.50 $6.50

-17.08%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.06 $5.06

-6.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$16.01 $16.01

-13.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$15.33 $15.33

-6.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.87 $17.87

2.85%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.59 $6.59

-20.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.83 $3.83

-48.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$7.31 $7.31

-44.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$7.87 $7.87

-36.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$6.43 $6.43

-58.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$6.43 $6.43

-58.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.43 $2.43

-7.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.24 $3.24

-3.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.71 $9.71

42.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.67 $14.67

1.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.78 $1.78

42.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.83 $3.83

-8.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.97 $3.97

-19.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.07 $2.07

-32.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$25.31 $25.31

-1.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.04 $1.04

15.38%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$31.0K $31.0K

13.05%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.5K $25.5K

4.50%

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

$194 $194

$284 $284

-31.46%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$52.3 $52.3

32.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$102 $102

-39.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$55.9 $55.9

-14.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$7.58 $7.58

260.69%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$16.69 $16.69

6.71%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,418 $1,418

26.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$29.9K $29.9K

6.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$47.68 $47.68

40.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$47.97 $47.97

8.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$93.7 $93.7

8.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$122 $122

17.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,839 $1,839

37.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,505 $1,505

4.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,189 $3,189

48.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,610 $2,610

3.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,203 $3,203

30.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,513 $2,513

10.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,632 $4,632

6.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.59

3.34%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Charlottesville, VA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Charlottesville, VA

$1.5K 49.7% 4.6% $73

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Charlottesville, VA

$524 17.3% 17.2% $77

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Charlottesville, VA

$315 10.4% 8.6% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Charlottesville, VA

$438 14.5% 34.6% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Charlottesville, VA

$140 4.6% 14.6% $24

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Charlottesville, VA

$14 * 0.5% 84.7% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Charlottesville, VA

$89 3% 7% $5.8

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 $1,839 in Charlottesville, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 6% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $99 in Charlottesville, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $524 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Charlottesville, VA

🕒 Local time

12:58 12:58 PM

13:58 1:58 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

43,475

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Charlottesville, VA 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Charlottesville, VA

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 Charlottesville, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 6% 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 $1,839 in Charlottesville, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,794 in Chicago, IL versus $1,418 in Charlottesville, VA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Chicago, IL pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Charlottesville, VA 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.

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