Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Chesterfield, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Chesterfield, MO: $2,474 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Chesterfield, MO
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Chesterfield, MO Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Chesterfield, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,474

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Chesterfield, MO

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 Chesterfield, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $2,474 in Chesterfield, MO.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Chesterfield, MO $2,474

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $3,442 in Chesterfield, MO.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Chesterfield, MO $3,442

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $4,411 in Chesterfield, MO.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Chesterfield, MO $4,411

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 27% more expensive than in Chesterfield, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Chesterfield, MO 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$25.13 $25.13

-17.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$61.0 $61.0

47.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$10.08 $10.08

28.37%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.01 $5.01

11.78%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.21 $2.21

19.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.23 $1.23

84.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$4.46 $4.46

56.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.33 $6.33

39.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.04 $1.04

22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.99 $2.99

27.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.14 $2.14

147.66%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.62 $3.62

31.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$11.39 $11.39

22.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$8.91 $8.91

63.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$12.93 $12.93

45.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.28 $4.28

21.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.13 $1.13

75.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.99 $2.99

31.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.27 $4.27

16.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.64 $1.64

68.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.44 $2.44

13.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.83 $1.83

21.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.95 $1.95

52.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$7.88 $7.88

77.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$13.52 $13.52

13.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.84 $1.84

40.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.46 $4.46

-21.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.97 $1.97

25.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.05 $3.05

9.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.40 $1.40

2.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$36.08 $36.08

-32.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.91 $0.91

38.46%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$24.4K $24.4K

43.64%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$22.7K $22.7K

14.73%

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

$193 $193

$254 $254

-24.08%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$58.2 $58.2

17.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$72.1 $72.1

-15.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$41.23 $41.23

31.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$12.20 $12.20

45.41%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$776 $776

112.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$26.6K $26.6K

16.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$60.1 $60.1

10.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$30.46 $30.46

68.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$39.80 $39.80

151.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$40.13 $40.13

251.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,778 $1,778

37.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,262 $1,262

32.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$3,161 $3,161

49.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,868 $1,868

49.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,734 $2,734

50.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,341 $2,341

13.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.36

7.08%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chesterfield, MO: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Chesterfield, MO

$1.3K 51% 24.8% $416

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Chesterfield, MO

$328 13.3% 27% $121

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Chesterfield, MO

$340 13.8% 1% $3.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Chesterfield, MO

$384 15.5% 19.2% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Chesterfield, MO

$77 3.1% 52.4% $85

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Chesterfield, MO

$18 * 0.7% 81.1% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Chesterfield, MO

$66 2.7% 26.8% $24

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 $2,446 in Chicago, IL and $1,778 in Chesterfield, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $61.0 in Chesterfield, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $328 per month, with Chesterfield, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Chesterfield, MO

🕒 Local time

18:30 6:30 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

49,999

💱 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 Chesterfield, MO 440 km

From you

Chicago, IL
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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 Chesterfield, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL and Chesterfield, MO differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($3,139 vs $2,474 including rent). Chesterfield, MO is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,708 in Chicago, IL and $3,711 in Chesterfield, MO to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,778 in Chesterfield, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL versus $2,474 in Chesterfield, MO – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Chesterfield, MO 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.

Expats usually find Chesterfield, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.