Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Denver, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,151 in Denver, CO, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
151

Cost of Living Index in Denver, CO
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Denver, CO Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Denver, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,151

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,151 in Denver, CO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Denver, CO $3,151

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,582 in Denver, CO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Denver, CO $4,582

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,013 in Denver, CO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Denver, CO $6,013

Chicago, IL is about 4% cheaper than Denver, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Denver, CO sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Denver, CO by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.86 $19.86

4.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$84.7 $84.7

5.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.95 $11.95

10.38%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.13 $6.13

-7.67%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.94 $2.94

-10.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.30 $2.30

-0.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.10 $7.10

-3.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.83 $7.83

12.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.12 $1.12

11.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$5.58 $5.58

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$7.33 $7.33

-26.47%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.11 $5.11

-7.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$16.37 $16.37

-15.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$17.22 $17.22

-16.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.55 $18.55

-0.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.21 $5.21

0.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.10 $2.10

-5.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.92 $4.92

-17.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.30 $5.30

-6.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.66 $2.66

0.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.82 $2.82

-5.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.38 $2.38

-5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.43 $2.43

28.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$10.76 $10.76

28.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$18.72 $18.72

-20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.71 $2.71

-6.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.58 $3.58

-1.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.80 $2.80

-13.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$88.3 $88.3

-16.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.55 $3.55

-10.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.79 $1.79

-22.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$29.56 $29.56

-15.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.06 $1.06

13.21%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$30.0K $30.0K

16.63%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.23%

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

$194 $194

$166 $166

16.97%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$75.5 $75.5

-7.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$69.2 $69.2

-10.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$58.2 $58.2

-17.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$25.43 $25.43

7.51%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.02 $15.02

18.58%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,293 $2,293

-21.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$33.6K $33.6K

-4.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$70.9 $70.9

-5.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$45.11 $45.11

15.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$104 $104

-1.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$134 $134

7.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,972 $1,972

28.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,637 $1,637

-3.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,367 $3,367

40.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,592 $2,592

3.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$5,506 $5,506

-23.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$3,491 $3,491

-20.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,947 $4,947

-0.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.9

-1.30%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Denver, CO: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Denver, CO

$1.6K 52% 3.8% $59

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Denver, CO

$503 16% 12.4% $56

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Denver, CO

$340 10.8% 1.3% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Denver, CO

$311 9.9% 4.5% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Denver, CO

$159 5.1% 3% $5

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Denver, CO

$112 3.6% 20% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Denver, CO

$88 2.8% 5.6% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,972 in Denver, CO. 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 $85 in Denver, CO. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $503 in Denver, CO – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Denver, CO

🕒 Local time

04:10 4:10 AM

03:10 3:10 AM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

715,522

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Denver, CO 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Denver, 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 Denver, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $3,151 in Denver, CO – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 4% 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 $4,726 in Denver, CO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Denver, CO, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,972 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Denver, CO, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $85 in Denver, CO. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $3,151 in Denver, CO. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chicago, IL costs $3,037 versus $3,151 in Denver, CO. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.