Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Elizabeth City, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Elizabeth City, NC: $2,456 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Elizabeth City, NC
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Elizabeth City, NC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Elizabeth City, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,456

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Elizabeth City, NC

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 Elizabeth City, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,456 in Elizabeth City, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Elizabeth City, NC $2,456

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,522 in Elizabeth City, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Elizabeth City, NC $3,522

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,588 in Elizabeth City, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Elizabeth City, NC $4,588

Chicago, IL costs about 28% more than Elizabeth City, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Elizabeth City, NC sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Elizabeth City, NC by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$11.95 $11.95

72.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$34.93 $34.93

158.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.60 $11.60

11.55%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.84 $5.84

-4.11%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.52 $2.52

4.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.04 $2.04

11.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.14 $6.14

13.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.09 $7.09

24.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.95 $0.95

33.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.65 $3.65

4.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.00 $3.00

76.67%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.78 $4.78

-0.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$10.81 $10.81

29.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$10.01 $10.01

45.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$17.49 $17.49

7.32%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.38 $4.38

18.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.28 $1.28

54.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.39 $4.39

-10.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.53 $4.53

9.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.16 $2.16

27.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.21 $2.21

24.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.01 $2.01

10.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.23 $2.23

33.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$8.86 $8.86

58.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.74 $14.74

3.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.12 $2.12

21.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.65 $2.65

32.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.81 $1.81

36.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.92 $2.92

14.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.93 $1.93

-25.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$18.19 $18.19

33.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.00 $1.00

26.00%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$30.6K $30.6K

14.43%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.6K $25.6K

1.74%

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

$193 $193

$183 $183

5.27%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$56.8 $56.8

20.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$59.6 $59.6

2.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$45.64 $45.64

18.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$15.06 $15.06

17.80%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,491 $1,491

10.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$24.9K $24.9K

24.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$54.7 $54.7

20.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$40.11 $40.11

27.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$87.8 $87.8

14.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$143 $143

-1.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,584 $1,584

54.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,279 $1,279

31.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,494 $2,494

89.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,164 $2,164

29.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,870 $2,870

43.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,355 $2,355

12.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.61

3.03%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Elizabeth City, NC: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Elizabeth City, NC

$1.3K 52.1% 23.8% $399

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Elizabeth City, NC

$373 15.2% 17% $76

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Elizabeth City, NC

$264 10.7% 23.3% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Elizabeth City, NC

$299 12.2% 7.1% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Elizabeth City, NC

$146 6% 9.3% $15

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Elizabeth City, NC

$20 * 0.8% 79.2% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Elizabeth City, NC

$76 3.1% 15.5% $14

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 $1,584 in Elizabeth City, NC. 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 $35.00 in Elizabeth City, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $373 – making Elizabeth City, NC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Elizabeth City, NC

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

22:34 10:34 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

18,683

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Elizabeth City, NC 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Elizabeth City, NC

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 Elizabeth City, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,456 in Elizabeth City, NC – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,685 in Elizabeth City, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Elizabeth City, NC, 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 $35.00 in Elizabeth City, NC. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,456 in Elizabeth City, NC. 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 $2,456 in Elizabeth City, NC to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Elizabeth City, NC. 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.