Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Clayton, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Clayton, NC: $2,539 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Clayton, NC
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Clayton, NC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Clayton, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,539

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,539 in Clayton, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Clayton, NC $2,539

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,539 in Clayton, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Clayton, NC $3,539

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,539 in Clayton, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Clayton, NC $4,539

Chicago, IL costs about 24% more than Clayton, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Clayton, NC sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Clayton, NC by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$21.72 $21.72

-4.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$89.4 $89.4

0.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.35 $11.35

14.01%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.81 $5.81

-3.61%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.77 $2.77

-4.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.22 $2.22

2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.83 $5.83

19.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.21 $7.21

22.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.05 $1.05

20.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.83 $3.83

-0.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.03 $3.03

74.92%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.60 $4.60

3.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$9.69 $9.69

44.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$9.80 $9.80

49.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$17.67 $17.67

6.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.74 $4.74

9.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.38 $1.38

43.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.47 $4.47

-12.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.39 $4.39

12.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.74 $2.74

0.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.41 $2.41

14.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.18 $2.18

1.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.01 $2.01

48.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$9.17 $9.17

52.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$12.78 $12.78

19.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.16 $2.16

19.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.77 $2.77

26.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.20 $2.20

12.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.47 $2.47

35.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.57 $1.57

-8.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$17.95 $17.95

35.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.02 $1.02

23.53%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.3K $27.3K

28.10%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

0.85%

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

$193 $193

$185 $185

4.26%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$56.0 $56.0

21.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$71.9 $71.9

-14.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$43.58 $43.58

24.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$15.11 $15.11

17.41%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,471 $1,471

12.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$24.8K $24.8K

25.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$54.7 $54.7

20.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$46.41 $46.41

10.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$91.2 $91.2

9.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$120 $120

17.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,607 $1,607

52.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,282 $1,282

30.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$1,669 $1,669

182.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,675 $1,675

66.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$3,115 $3,115

31.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,599 $2,599

1.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.49

4.93%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Clayton, NC: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Clayton, NC

$1.3K 50.5% 23.6% $396

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Clayton, NC

$370 14.6% 17.7% $79

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Clayton, NC

$341 13.4% 0.7% $2.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Clayton, NC

$313 12.3% 2.9% $9.5

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Clayton, NC

$141 5.5% 12.8% $21

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Clayton, NC

$19 * 0.8% 79.9% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Clayton, NC

$74 2.9% 17.6% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,607 in Clayton, NC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $89.0 in Clayton, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $370 – making Clayton, NC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Clayton, NC

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

23:56 11:56 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

17,355

💱 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 Clayton, NC 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,539 in Clayton, NC – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,808 in Clayton, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Clayton, NC, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $89.0 in Clayton, NC. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,539 in Clayton, NC. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,539 in Clayton, NC to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Clayton, NC. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.