Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Edgewood, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Edgewood, NM: $2,725 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in Edgewood, NM
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Edgewood, NM Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Edgewood, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Edgewood, NM

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 Edgewood, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,725 in Edgewood, NM, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Edgewood, NM $2,725

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,970 in Edgewood, NM, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Edgewood, NM $3,970

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,215 in Edgewood, NM, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Edgewood, NM $5,215

Chicago, IL costs about 15% more than Edgewood, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Edgewood, NM sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Edgewood, NM by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$16.91 $16.91

22.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$78.9 $78.9

14.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$12.13 $12.13

6.68%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.59 $5.59

0.18%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.97 $2.97

-11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.37 $2.37

-4.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.16 $6.16

13.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.81 $6.81

29.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.17 $1.17

8.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.46 $4.46

-14.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.44 $5.44

-2.57%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.19 $4.19

13.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$16.39 $16.39

-14.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$20.43 $20.43

-28.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$16.66 $16.66

12.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.87 $5.87

-11.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.80 $1.80

10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.73 $3.73

5.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.46 $4.46

11.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.78 $2.78

-0.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.12 $2.12

30.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.55 $2.55

-12.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.52 $2.52

18.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$10.94 $10.94

28.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$15.97 $15.97

-4.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.10 $2.10

22.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.15 $4.15

-15.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.21 $2.21

11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.65 $2.65

26.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.61 $1.61

-11.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$26.43 $26.43

-7.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.09 $1.09

15.60%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$26.3K $26.3K

33.03%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.5K $25.5K

2.44%

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

$193 $193

$248 $248

-22.39%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$44.13 $44.13

54.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$94.4 $94.4

-35.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$42.19 $42.19

28.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$17.70 $17.70

0.23%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,325 $1,325

24.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$15.2K $15.2K

104.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$60.1 $60.1

9.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$56.6 $56.6

-9.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$80.7 $80.7

24.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$111 $111

27.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,567 $1,567

56.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,321 $1,321

26.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,523 $2,523

86.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,186 $2,186

27.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,480 $2,480

65.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,271 $2,271

16.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.64

2.56%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Edgewood, NM: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Edgewood, NM

$1.3K 48.5% 21.3% $357

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Edgewood, NM

$477 17.5% 6.2% $28

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Edgewood, NM

$304 11.2% 11.4% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Edgewood, NM

$387 14.2% 20% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Edgewood, NM

$139 5.1% 14.1% $23

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Edgewood, NM

$20 * 0.7% 79.5% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Edgewood, NM

$78 2.9% 13.4% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,567 in Edgewood, NM. 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $79.0 in Edgewood, NM. Groceries tell a different story – $449 in Chicago, IL vs $477 in Edgewood, NM – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Edgewood, NM

🕒 Local time

00:22 12:22 AM

23:22 11:22 PM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

6,000

💱 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 Edgewood, NM 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Edgewood, NM

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 Edgewood, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,725 in Edgewood, NM – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,088 in Edgewood, NM. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Edgewood, NM, 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $79.0 in Edgewood, NM. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,725 in Edgewood, NM. 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 $2,725 in Edgewood, NM to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Edgewood, NM. 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.