Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,262 in Farmington, NM, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Farmington, NM outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Farmington, NM
Learn more

Farmington, NM Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Farmington, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$3,262

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Farmington, 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 Farmington, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,262 in Farmington, NM, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Farmington, NM $3,262

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,375 in Farmington, NM, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Farmington, NM $4,375

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,488 in Farmington, NM, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Farmington, NM $5,488

Chicago, IL is about 7% cheaper than Farmington, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Chicago, IL and Farmington, NM sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Farmington, NM by 140%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.77 $19.77

4.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$49.52 $49.52

80.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.02 $12.02

9.73%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.28 $6.28

-9.87%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.38 $2.38

10.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.68 $1.68

35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.90 $7.90

-13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$13.41 $13.41

-34.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.98 $0.98

27.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.34 $3.34

11.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.31 $4.31

25.06%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.18 $4.18

13.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$7.30 $7.30

89.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$13.09 $13.09

10.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$16.86 $16.86

9.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.04 $3.04

71.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.63 $1.63

21.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.39 $4.39

-7.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.73 $4.73

5.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.75 $2.75

-2.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.03 $3.03

-12.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.19 $2.19

2.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.32 $2.32

34.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.93 $9.93

39.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.71 $14.71

1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.12 $2.12

19.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.44 $3.44

2.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.04 $2.04

19.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$30.05 $30.05

144.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.21 $3.21

-0.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.76 $1.76

-21.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$27.59 $27.59

-9.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.11 $1.11

8.11%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$31.8K $31.8K

10.27%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$27.1K $27.1K

-1.52%

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

$194 $194

$394 $394

-50.61%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$58.3 $58.3

19.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$113 $113

-45.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$40.20 $40.20

19.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.86 $12.86

38.49%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,392 $1,392

28.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$20.9K $20.9K

52.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$52.1 $52.1

28.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$41.72 $41.72

24.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$89.6 $89.6

13.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$113 $113

27.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,716 $1,716

47.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,716 $1,716

-8.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,594 $2,594

82.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,511 $2,511

7.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,105 $2,105

99.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,161 $2,161

28.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$7,169 $7,169

-31.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.57

3.65%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Farmington, NM: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Farmington, NM

$1.7K 52.6% 8.7% $138

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Farmington, NM

$379 11.6% 15.3% $68

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Farmington, NM

$352 10.8% 2.1% $7.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Farmington, NM

$565 17.3% 73.6% $240

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Farmington, NM

$133 4.1% 18.6% $31

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Farmington, NM

$50 1.5% 46.2% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Farmington, NM

$66 2% 21.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,716 in Farmington, NM. 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 45% higher in Farmington, NM. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $50 in Farmington, NM. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $379 – making Farmington, NM the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Farmington, NM

🕒 Local time

20:07 8:07 PM

19:07 7:07 PM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

18,207

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Farmington, NM 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Farmington, 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 Farmington, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $3,262 in Farmington, NM – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,893 in Farmington, NM. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Farmington, NM, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,716 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Farmington, NM – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

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

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $3,262 in Farmington, 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 $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $3,262 in Farmington, NM. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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