Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Colorado Springs, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Colorado Springs, CO: $2,971 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 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
146

Cost of Living Index in Colorado Springs, CO
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Colorado Springs, CO Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Colorado Springs, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,971

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Colorado Springs, CO

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 Colorado Springs, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,971 in Colorado Springs, CO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Colorado Springs, CO $2,971

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,310 in Colorado Springs, CO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Colorado Springs, CO $4,310

A family of three spends $6,077 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,650 in Colorado Springs, CO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Colorado Springs, CO $5,650

Chicago, IL costs about 7% more than Colorado Springs, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Chicago, IL and Colorado Springs, CO sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Colorado Springs, CO by 120%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$19.69 $19.69

9.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$84.8 $84.8

4.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$13.07 $13.07

0.99%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$5.42 $5.42

3.14%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.76 $2.76

-4.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.21 $2.21

2.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$5.98 $5.98

18.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$7.27 $7.27

26.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.93 $0.93

37.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.17 $3.17

21.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$4.30 $4.30

17.91%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$5.98 $5.98

-19.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$14.66 $14.66

-3.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$13.27 $13.27

10.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$19.69 $19.69

-4.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.65 $5.65

-8.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.42 $1.42

40.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$4.43 $4.43

-9.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$4.83 $4.83

3.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.40 $2.40

16.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.58 $2.58

2.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.37 $2.37

-10.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.99 $1.99

55.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$10.55 $10.55

52.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$19.04 $19.04

-20.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$3.36 $3.36

-22.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.76 $4.76

-27.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.77 $1.77

39.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

$62.7 $62.7

19.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.72 $3.72

-13.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.41 $1.41

-1.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$24.85 $24.85

0.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.01 $1.01

22.77%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$25.4K $25.4K

46.16%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.4K $25.4K

1.83%

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

$192 $192

$204 $204

-5.56%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$94.0 $94.0

-27.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$103 $103

-40.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$59.0 $59.0

-9.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

$32.93 $32.93

-15.27%

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$14.70 $14.70

21.09%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,516 $1,516

2.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$24.2K $24.2K

29.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$57.3 $57.3

18.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$35.61 $35.61

42.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$80.4 $80.4

26.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$103 $103

38.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$1,758 $1,758

35.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,511 $1,511

13.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$2,651 $2,651

76.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$2,419 $2,419

13.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$2,581 $2,581

61.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$2,436 $2,436

10.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$4,233 $4,233

15.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.72

0.74%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Colorado Springs, CO: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Colorado Springs, CO

$1.5K 50.9% 11.7% $201

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Colorado Springs, CO

$440 14.8% 2.4% $11

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Colorado Springs, CO

$326 11% 7.6% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Colorado Springs, CO

$400 13.5% 24.7% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Colorado Springs, CO

$125 4.2% 23.8% $39

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Colorado Springs, CO

$81 2.7% 15.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Colorado Springs, CO

$88 3% 0.9% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $1,758 in Colorado Springs, CO. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 16% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Chicago, IL versus $85.0 in Colorado Springs, CO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $440 – making Colorado Springs, CO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Colorado Springs, CO

🕒 Local time

11:16 11:16 AM

10:16 10:16 AM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

478,961

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Colorado Springs, CO 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Colorado Springs, CO

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 Colorado Springs, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL, $2,971 in Colorado Springs, CO – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,777 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,457 in Colorado Springs, CO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 2% 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Chicago, IL and $85.0 in Colorado Springs, CO. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,185 in Chicago, IL and $2,971 in Colorado Springs, CO. 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 $2,971 in Colorado Springs, CO to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Colorado Springs, CO. 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.