Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Dickinson, ND

For one person, living is cheaper in Dickinson, ND: $2,616 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Dickinson, ND
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Dickinson, ND Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Dickinson, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,616

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Dickinson, ND

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 Dickinson, ND actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,616 in Dickinson, ND, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Dickinson, ND $2,616

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,852 in Dickinson, ND, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Dickinson, ND $3,852

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,089 in Dickinson, ND, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Dickinson, ND $5,089

Chicago, IL costs about 17% more than Dickinson, ND, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Dickinson, ND sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Dickinson, ND by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$19.78 $19.78

3.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$80.8 $80.8

9.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$12.49 $12.49

2.88%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.40 $5.40

7.04%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$3.03 $3.03

-9.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.28 $2.28

-0.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$6.61 $6.61

4.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$7.58 $7.58

21.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.05 $1.05

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.49 $3.49

1.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.86 $2.86

88.11%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$4.21 $4.21

8.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$12.66 $12.66

7.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$11.77 $11.77

19.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$17.21 $17.21

4.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.21 $5.21

-0.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.65 $1.65

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$2.43 $2.43

59.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.66 $4.66

3.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.76 $2.76

1.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.92 $2.92

-8.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.21 $2.21

-6.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.20 $2.20

37.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$9.41 $9.41

47.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.80 $14.80

1.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.01 $2.01

30.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.50 $3.50

-1.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.75 $1.75

38.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$60.7 $60.7

24.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.42 $3.42

-7.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.84 $1.84

-7.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$33.58 $33.58

-25.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.14 $1.14

12.28%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$32.0K $32.0K

11.70%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.9K $26.9K

-0.48%

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

$192 $192

$219 $219

-12.13%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$54.7 $54.7

27.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$67.5 $67.5

-7.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$44.41 $44.41

7.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$14.20 $14.20

25.56%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,339 $1,339

35.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$21.3K $21.3K

90.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$52.5 $52.5

26.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$36.18 $36.18

42.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$82.6 $82.6

25.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$121 $121

17.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$917 $917

176.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,273 $1,273

27.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,551 $2,551

89.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,135 $2,135

28.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$1,567 $1,567

165.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$1,593 $1,593

70.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.59

2.88%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Dickinson, ND: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Dickinson, ND

$1.3K 48.7% 21.5% $348

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Dickinson, ND

$387 14.8% 11.8% $52

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Dickinson, ND

$330 12.6% 4.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Dickinson, ND

$341 13% 5.2% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Dickinson, ND

$132 5% 19.6% $32

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Dickinson, ND

$80 3.1% 17% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Dickinson, ND

$73 2.8% 12.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $917 in Dickinson, ND. 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 $81 in Dickinson, ND. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $387 – making Dickinson, ND the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Dickinson, ND

🕒 Local time

19:22 7:22 PM

18:22 6:22 PM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

15,636

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Dickinson, ND 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Dickinson, ND

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 Dickinson, ND: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,616 in Dickinson, ND – Dickinson, ND comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,923 in Dickinson, ND. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dickinson, ND, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $917 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $81 in Dickinson, ND. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,616 in Dickinson, ND. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Dickinson, ND is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 15% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.