Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Elizabethtown, KY

For one person, living is cheaper in Elizabethtown, KY: $2,040 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 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
97

Cost of Living Index in Elizabethtown, KY
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Elizabethtown, KY Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Elizabethtown, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,040

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Elizabethtown, KY

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 Elizabethtown, KY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,040 in Elizabethtown, KY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Elizabethtown, KY $2,040

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,929 in Elizabethtown, KY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Elizabethtown, KY $2,929

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,819 in Elizabethtown, KY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Elizabethtown, KY $3,819

Chicago, IL costs about 51% more than Elizabethtown, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Elizabethtown, KY sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Elizabethtown, KY by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$15.02 $15.02

35.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$50.4 $50.4

75.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$9.24 $9.24

39.07%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$4.81 $4.81

20.17%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.25 $2.25

21.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.67 $1.67

35.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$5.10 $5.10

34.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$7.69 $7.69

20.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.82 $0.82

53.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.23 $2.23

59.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.02 $2.02

166.34%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$2.73 $2.73

66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$12.69 $12.69

7.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$10.98 $10.98

28.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$16.36 $16.36

10.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.56 $5.56

-7.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.59 $1.59

24.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.31 $4.31

-9.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.84 $4.84

-0.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.53 $2.53

11.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.30 $3.30

-19.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.02 $2.02

2.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.86 $1.86

62.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$5.99 $5.99

132.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.03 $15.03

0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.10 $2.10

25.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.10 $3.10

11.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.82 $3.82

-17.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.26 $1.26

34.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$25.34 $25.34

-1.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.81 $0.81

58.02%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$36.7K $36.7K

-2.50%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.1K $25.1K

6.62%

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

$192 $192

$153 $153

25.85%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$79.6 $79.6

-12.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$71.2 $71.2

-12.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$11.16 $11.16

59.77%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,333 $1,333

36.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$25.0K $25.0K

62.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$45.09 $45.09

46.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$40.55 $40.55

26.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$85.9 $85.9

20.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$85.9 $85.9

66.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,169 $1,169

116.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$964 $964

68.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$1,944 $1,944

148.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$1,502 $1,502

82.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$1,730 $1,730

140.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$1,785 $1,785

52.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$3,299 $3,299

49.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.84

-0.88%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Elizabethtown, KY: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Elizabethtown, KY

$964 47.3% 40.5% $657

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Elizabethtown, KY

$362 17.7% 17.7% $78

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Elizabethtown, KY

$262 12.9% 23.8% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Elizabethtown, KY

$303 14.9% 6.3% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Elizabethtown, KY

$116 5.7% 29.2% $48

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Elizabethtown, KY

$10 * 0.5% 89.5% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Elizabethtown, KY

$22 * 1.1% 73.3% $61

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,169 in Elizabethtown, KY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 49% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $50 in Elizabethtown, KY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $362 – making Elizabethtown, KY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Elizabethtown, KY

🕒 Local time

17:29 5:29 PM

18:29 6:29 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

23,406

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL Elizabethtown, KY 490 km

From you

Chicago, IL
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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 Elizabethtown, KY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,040 in Elizabethtown, KY – Elizabethtown, KY comes out roughly 34% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,060 in Elizabethtown, KY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Elizabethtown, KY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,169 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $50 in Elizabethtown, KY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Elizabethtown, KY, where all-in costs run around $2,040, than in Chicago, IL at $3,072. In Elizabethtown, KY it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Elizabethtown, KY. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.