Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Crystal Lake, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Chicago, IL and in Crystal Lake, IL: $3,139 and $2,999 a month, rent and utilities included.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
146

Cost of Living Index in Crystal Lake, IL
Learn more

Crystal Lake, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Crystal Lake, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,999

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Crystal Lake, IL

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 Crystal Lake, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,999 in Crystal Lake, IL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Crystal Lake, IL $2,999

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,051 in Crystal Lake, IL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Crystal Lake, IL $4,051

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,103 in Crystal Lake, IL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Crystal Lake, IL $5,103

Chicago, IL costs about 5% more than Crystal Lake, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Crystal Lake, IL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Crystal Lake, IL by 121%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$19.75 $19.75

4.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$66.9 $66.9

34.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$12.93 $12.93

0.08%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.67 $5.67

-1.23%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.07 $3.07

-14.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.44 $2.44

-6.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$7.10 $7.10

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$8.04 $8.04

9.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.93 $0.93

36.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.43 $3.43

10.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.34 $4.34

22.12%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.72 $3.72

27.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$14.83 $14.83

-5.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$13.00 $13.00

12.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$19.90 $19.90

-5.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.64 $4.64

11.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.65 $1.65

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$5.38 $5.38

-26.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.83 $4.83

2.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.86 $2.86

-3.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.97 $2.97

-7.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.15 $2.15

3.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.41 $2.41

23.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$10.81 $10.81

29.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$15.49 $15.49

-1.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.67 $2.67

-3.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.55 $4.55

-23.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.23 $2.23

10.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.91 $3.91

-14.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.95 $1.95

-26.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$44.13 $44.13

-44.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.99 $0.99

27.27%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$30.7K $30.7K

14.06%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.3K $26.3K

-0.83%

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

$193 $193

$273 $273

-29.40%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$52.1 $52.1

31.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$81.5 $81.5

-24.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$36.73 $36.73

47.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$14.86 $14.86

19.38%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,706 $1,706

-3.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$23.2K $23.2K

33.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$65.1 $65.1

1.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

0.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$106 $106

-5.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$120 $120

17.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,622 $1,622

50.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,582 $1,582

6.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,470 $2,470

90.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,127 $2,127

31.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,626 $2,626

56.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,034 $2,034

30.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.69

1.79%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Crystal Lake, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Crystal Lake, IL

$1.6K 52.7% 5.7% $96

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Crystal Lake, IL

$429 14.3% 4.5% $20

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Crystal Lake, IL

$338 11.3% 1.4% $5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Crystal Lake, IL

$406 13.6% 26.1% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Crystal Lake, IL

$154 5.1% 4.6% $7.4

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Crystal Lake, IL

$23 * 0.8% 76.3% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Crystal Lake, IL

$66 2.2% 25.8% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,622 in Crystal Lake, IL. 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 $67.0 in Crystal Lake, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $429 – making Crystal Lake, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Crystal Lake, IL

🕒 Local time

22:18 10:18 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

40,269

💱 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 Crystal Lake, IL 70 km

From you

Chicago, IL
Crystal Lake, IL

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 Crystal Lake, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,999 in Crystal Lake, IL – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,498 in Crystal Lake, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Crystal Lake, IL, 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 $67.0 in Crystal Lake, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% 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 $2,999 in Crystal Lake, IL. 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 $2,999 in Crystal Lake, IL to $3,139 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 Crystal Lake, IL. 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.