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

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Chicago, IL is 46.2% more expensive than Chesapeake, VA without rent, and 19.2% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Chicago, IL is 43.8% more expensive than Chesapeake, VA without rent, and 39.2% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Chicago, IL
Chesapeake, VA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.82 $20.82
$12.81 $12.81
62.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$100 $100
$76.2 $76.2
31.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.97 $11.97
$10.07 $10.07
18.87%
Cappuccino
$5.56 $5.56
$5.45 $5.45
2.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 $3.11
$2.37 $2.37
31.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$2.02 $2.02
19.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.86 $6.86
$5.69 $5.69
20.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.45 $8.45
$5.97 $5.97
41.54%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Chicago, IL
Chesapeake, VA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$0.86 $0.86
20.93%
White Bread (500g)
$4.15 $4.15
$4.09 $4.09
1.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.52 $5.52
$3.16 $3.16
74.68%
Eggs
$4.65 $4.65
$3.29 $3.29
41.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.33 $14.33
$13.63 $13.63
5.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.88 $14.88
$8.29 $8.29
79.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.34 $19.34
$16.68 $16.68
15.95%
Apples (1kg)
$5.17 $5.17
$5.08 $5.08
1.77%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.05 $1.05
62.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.41 $4.41
$5.8 $5.8
-23.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$4.36 $4.36
3.44%
Potato (1kg)
$2.53 $2.53
$2.83 $2.83
-10.60%
Onion (1kg)
$2.74 $2.74
$2.89 $2.89
-5.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 $2.43
$1.51 $1.51
60.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.7 $2.7
$2.15 $2.15
25.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.19 $15.19
$7.62 $7.62
99.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.42 $16.42
$15.29 $15.29
7.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.7 $1.7
38.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.7 $3.7
$3.15 $3.15
17.46%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Chicago, IL
Chesapeake, VA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.53 $2.53
$2.03 $2.03
24.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.1 $74.1
$69.7 $69.7
6.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.34 $3.34
$2.49 $2.49
34.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 $1.42
$1.22 $1.22
16.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.42 $25.42
$14.73 $14.73
72.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$0.8 $0.8
35.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K $32.4K
$29.6K $29.6K
9.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$26.6K $26.6K
-1.40%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chicago, IL
Chesapeake, VA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 $188
$190 $190
-0.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$63.7 $63.7
$53.2 $53.2
19.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$65.2 $65.2
$54 $54
20.79%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Chicago, IL
Chesapeake, VA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.7 $76.7
$43.67 $43.67
75.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.03 $13.03
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.93 $14.93
$13.14 $13.14
13.62%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Chicago, IL
Chesapeake, VA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,063 $2,063
$1,504 $1,504
37.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.2K $39.2K
$19.1K $19.1K
105.49%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Chicago, IL
Chesapeake, VA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.3 $64.3
$50.8 $50.8
26.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.4 $52.4
$20.31 $20.31
157.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.2 $95.2
$68.6 $68.6
38.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 $145
$60.8 $60.8
137.85%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Chicago, IL
Chesapeake, VA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,378 $2,378
$1,776 $1,776
33.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,584 $1,584
$1,376 $1,376
15.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,763 $4,763
$2,264 $2,264
110.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,815 $2,815
$1,927 $1,927
46.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,588 $3,588
$1,812 $1,812
97.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,490 $2,490
$1,618 $1,618
53.88%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Chicago, IL
Chesapeake, VA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,275 $5,275
$4,649 $4,649
13.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.6
6.53
1.07%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 29, 2025

Last update for Chesapeake, VA: October 27, 2025

Join the CityCost newsletter โ€“ low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.