Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Columbia, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Columbia, TN: $2,298 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Columbia, TN
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Columbia, TN Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Columbia, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,298

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Columbia, TN

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 Columbia, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,298 in Columbia, TN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Columbia, TN $2,298

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,486 in Columbia, TN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Columbia, TN $3,486

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,674 in Columbia, TN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Columbia, TN $4,674

Chicago, IL costs about 32% more than Columbia, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Columbia, TN sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Columbia, TN by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$11.93 $11.93

73.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$60.6 $60.6

47.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.14 $10.14

30.08%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$3.89 $3.89

45.50%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.16 $2.16

22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.56 $1.56

46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.33 $6.33

8.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.32 $7.32

20.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.96 $0.96

30.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.90 $2.90

28.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.02 $4.02

34.08%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$2.56 $2.56

85.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$13.29 $13.29

4.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$6.52 $6.52

120.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$13.09 $13.09

40.41%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.58 $5.58

-6.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.25 $1.25

58.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.77 $5.77

-29.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.02 $4.02

23.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.16 $3.16

-15.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$4.17 $4.17

-36.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.53 $2.53

-11.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.13 $2.13

46.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.48 $9.48

45.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.11 $13.11

13.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.69 $1.69

50.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.58 $1.58

122.15%

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

$1.99 $1.99

59.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.38 $1.38

0.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$19.99 $19.99

25.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.71 $0.71

69.01%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.4K $28.4K

23.32%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.18%

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

$194 $194

$157 $157

23.65%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$61.2 $61.2

13.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$75.0 $75.0

-17.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$35.45 $35.45

35.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.59 $12.59

41.46%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,678 $1,678

6.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$24.9K $24.9K

28.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$40.38 $40.38

65.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$33.60 $33.60

55.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$82.3 $82.3

23.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$89.2 $89.2

61.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,471 $1,471

71.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,244 $1,244

26.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,573 $2,573

84.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,378 $2,378

13.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.6

3.18%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Columbia, TN: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Columbia, TN

$1.2K 54.1% 21.2% $334

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Columbia, TN

$347 15.1% 22.5% $101

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Columbia, TN

$234 10.2% 32.2% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Columbia, TN

$293 12.8% 9.9% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Columbia, TN

$110 4.8% 32.6% $54

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Columbia, TN

$8.9 * 0.4% 90.5% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Columbia, TN

$61 2.6% 27.4% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,471 in Columbia, TN. 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 $89 in Chicago, IL versus $61 in Columbia, TN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $347 – making Columbia, TN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Columbia, TN

🕒 Local time

09:16 9:16 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

672,228

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Columbia, TN 700 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Columbia, TN

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 Columbia, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,298 in Columbia, TN – Columbia, TN comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,446 in Columbia, TN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Columbia, TN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,471 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $61 in Columbia, TN. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Columbia, TN – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.