Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Des Plaines, IL Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Des Plaines, IL

😐 Solo nomad: Chicago, IL is 24.6% more expensive than Des Plaines, IL without rent, and 16.2% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Chicago, IL is 36.3% more expensive than Des Plaines, IL without rent, and 25.6% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chicago, IL
Des Plaines, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.82 $20.82
$14.84 $14.84
40.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$100 $100
$81.2 $81.2
23.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.97 $11.97
$10.91 $10.91
9.72%
Cappuccino
$5.56 $5.56
$5.47 $5.47
1.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 $3.11
$2.72 $2.72
14.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$2.33 $2.33
3.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.86 $6.86
$5.92 $5.92
15.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.45 $8.45
$7.18 $7.18
17.69%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Chicago, IL
Des Plaines, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$0.87 $0.87
19.54%
White Bread (500g)
$4.15 $4.15
$3.97 $3.97
4.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.52 $5.52
$5.09 $5.09
8.45%
Eggs
$4.65 $4.65
$4.01 $4.01
15.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.33 $14.33
$13.81 $13.81
3.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.88 $14.88
$13.53 $13.53
9.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.34 $19.34
$16.24 $16.24
19.09%
Apples (1kg)
$5.17 $5.17
$4.37 $4.37
18.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.67 $1.67
2.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.41 $4.41
$4.2 $4.2
5.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$4.57 $4.57
-1.31%
Potato (1kg)
$2.53 $2.53
$2.54 $2.54
-0.39%
Onion (1kg)
$2.74 $2.74
$2.73 $2.73
0.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 $2.43
$2.03 $2.03
19.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.7 $2.7
$2.05 $2.05
31.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.19 $15.19
$14.7 $14.7
3.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.42 $16.42
$12.15 $12.15
35.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 $2.35
$2.3 $2.3
2.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.7 $3.7
$3.72 $3.72
-0.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Chicago, IL
Des Plaines, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.53 $2.53
$1.98 $1.98
27.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.1 $74.1
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.34 $3.34
$4.37 $4.37
-23.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 $1.42
$1.44 $1.44
-1.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.42 $25.42
$24.7 $24.7
2.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$1.09 $1.09
-0.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K $32.4K
$25K $25K
29.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$25.5K $25.5K
2.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chicago, IL
Des Plaines, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 $188
$187 $187
0.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$63.7 $63.7
$51.4 $51.4
23.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$65.2 $65.2
$67.4 $67.4
-3.21%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Chicago, IL
Des Plaines, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.7 $76.7
$42.76 $42.76
79.42%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.03 $13.03
$40.19 $40.19
-67.58%
Cinema Ticket
$14.93 $14.93
$14.78 $14.78
1.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chicago, IL
Des Plaines, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,063 $2,063
$1,616 $1,616
27.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.2K $39.2K
$24.2K $24.2K
61.64%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Chicago, IL
Des Plaines, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.3 $64.3
$64.1 $64.1
0.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.4 $52.4
$48.05 $48.05
9.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.2 $95.2
$95.8 $95.8
-0.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 $145
$134 $134
7.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chicago, IL
Des Plaines, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,378 $2,378
$1,598 $1,598
48.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,584 $1,584
$1,341 $1,341
18.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,763 $4,763
$2,622 $2,622
81.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,815 $2,815
$2,228 $2,228
26.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,588 $3,588
$3,167 $3,167
13.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,490 $2,490
$2,466 $2,466
0.97%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Chicago, IL
Des Plaines, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,275 $5,275
$6,159 $6,159
-14.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.6
6.6
-

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 29, 2025

Last update for Des Plaines, IL: October 28, 2025

Join the CityCost newsletter – low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.