Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Driggs, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Driggs, ID: $2,596 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Driggs, ID
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Driggs, ID Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Driggs, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,596

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Driggs, ID

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 Driggs, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,596 in Driggs, ID, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Driggs, ID $2,596

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,873 in Driggs, ID, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Driggs, ID $3,873

A family of three spends $6,077 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,151 in Driggs, ID, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Driggs, ID $5,151

Chicago, IL costs about 23% more than Driggs, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Driggs, ID sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Driggs, ID by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$19.71 $19.71

9.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$101 $101

-12.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$10.04 $10.04

31.47%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$4.49 $4.49

24.50%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$3.06 $3.06

-14.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.95 $1.95

15.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$5.66 $5.66

25.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$7.11 $7.11

29.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.04 $1.04

23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.56 $3.56

7.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$7.26 $7.26

-30.17%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$6.25 $6.25

-22.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$25.26 $25.26

-43.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$13.20 $13.20

10.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$20.07 $20.07

-6.53%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.48 $4.48

15.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.44 $1.44

38.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.95 $3.95

1.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.16 $5.16

-3.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.87 $1.87

49.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.22 $2.22

19.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.26 $2.26

-5.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.18 $2.18

41.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$9.78 $9.78

64.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$14.71 $14.71

3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.68 $1.68

55.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.20 $4.20

-17.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.17 $2.17

13.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.46 $2.46

30.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.35 $1.35

2.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$60.0 $60.0

-58.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.99 $0.99

25.25%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$31.6K $31.6K

17.75%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.6K $25.6K

0.84%

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

$192 $192

$170 $170

12.79%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$60.4 $60.4

12.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$82.8 $82.8

-26.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$41.40 $41.40

29.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$14.82 $14.82

20.11%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,221 $1,221

27.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$19.4K $19.4K

61.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$55.4 $55.4

22.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$32.25 $32.25

57.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$99.2 $99.2

2.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$50.7 $50.7

182.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$1,587 $1,587

50.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,316 $1,316

30.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$2,484 $2,484

88.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$2,163 $2,163

26.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$2,906 $2,906

43.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$2,765 $2,765

-2.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.5

4.15%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Driggs, ID: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Driggs, ID

$1.3K 50.7% 23.1% $396

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Driggs, ID

$466 18% 3.3% $15

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Driggs, ID

$304 11.7% 13.8% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Driggs, ID

$314 12.1% 2.3% $7.3

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Driggs, ID

$107 4.1% 34.6% $57

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Driggs, ID

$18 * 0.7% 81.2% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Driggs, ID

$71 2.7% 20.3% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $1,587 in Driggs, ID. 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 $89.0 in Chicago, IL versus $101 in Driggs, ID. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $466 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Driggs, ID

🕒 Local time

12:48 12:48 PM

11:48 11:48 AM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

2,000

💱 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 Driggs, ID 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Driggs, ID

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 Driggs, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL, $2,596 in Driggs, ID – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,777 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,893 in Driggs, ID. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Driggs, ID, 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 $89.0 in Chicago, IL and $101 in Driggs, ID. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,185 in Chicago, IL and $2,596 in Driggs, ID. 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 $2,596 in Driggs, ID to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Driggs, ID. 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.