Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Decatur, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Decatur, AL: $1,929 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Decatur, AL
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Decatur, AL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Decatur, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Decatur, AL

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 Decatur, AL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,929 in Decatur, AL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Decatur, AL $1,929

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,715 in Decatur, AL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Decatur, AL $2,715

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,500 in Decatur, AL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Decatur, AL $3,500

Chicago, IL costs about 57% more than Decatur, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Decatur, AL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Decatur, AL by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$14.73 $14.73

40.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$42.83 $42.83

108.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.02 $12.02

9.73%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.44 $4.44

27.48%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.27 $1.27

107.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.59 $1.59

43.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.10 $5.10

34.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$5.91 $5.91

49.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.50 $0.50

150.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.10 $3.10

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.03 $2.03

165.52%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$2.60 $2.60

82.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$7.94 $7.94

74.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$5.70 $5.70

152.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$12.26 $12.26

49.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.01 $3.01

73.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.80 $1.80

10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.70 $2.70

50.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$1.93 $1.93

157.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.44 $1.44

85.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.61 $1.61

65.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.66 $2.66

-15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.19 $2.19

42.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.40 $9.40

47.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.04 $13.04

14.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.72 $1.72

47.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.60 $1.60

119.37%

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

$1.98 $1.98

60.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.34 $1.34

3.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$20.31 $20.31

23.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.04 $1.04

15.38%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.4K $27.4K

27.84%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$27.6K $27.6K

-3.26%

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

$194 $194

$189 $189

2.89%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$84.5 $84.5

-17.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$74.2 $74.2

-16.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.86 $14.86

19.85%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,713 $1,713

4.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$25.1K $25.1K

27.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$46.48 $46.48

44.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$33.04 $33.04

57.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$82.2 $82.2

23.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$156 $156

-7.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$987 $987

155.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$872 $872

80.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,704 $1,704

178.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,336 $1,336

101.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$1,659 $1,659

152.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,681 $1,681

64.65%

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 Decatur, AL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Decatur, AL

$872 45.2% 44.7% $706

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Decatur, AL

$272 14.1% 39.1% $175

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Decatur, AL

$256 13.3% 25.8% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Decatur, AL

$348 18% 6.8% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Decatur, AL

$143 7.4% 12.9% $21

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Decatur, AL

$8.7 * 0.5% 90.7% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Decatur, AL

$30 * 1.5% 64.4% $54

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 $987 in Decatur, AL. 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 $43 in Decatur, AL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $272 – making Decatur, AL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Decatur, AL

🕒 Local time

03:04 3:04 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

77,047

💱 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 Decatur, AL 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Decatur, AL

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 Decatur, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $1,929 in Decatur, AL – Decatur, AL comes out roughly 36% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $2,894 in Decatur, AL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Decatur, AL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $987 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $43 in Decatur, AL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 64% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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