Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Fort Collins, CO Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Fort Collins, CO

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Chicago, IL is 21.7% more expensive than Fort Collins, CO without rent, and 24.7% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Chicago, IL is 25.5% more expensive than Fort Collins, CO without rent, and 26.6% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Chicago, IL
Fort Collins, CO
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.82 $20.82
$18.17 $18.17
14.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$100 $100
$72.1 $72.1
39.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.97 $11.97
$11.33 $11.33
5.65%
Cappuccino
$5.56 $5.56
$4.97 $4.97
11.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 $3.11
$1.98 $1.98
57.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$2.46 $2.46
-1.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.86 $6.86
$7.03 $7.03
-2.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.45 $8.45
$6.42 $6.42
31.62%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Chicago, IL
Fort Collins, CO
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.06 $1.06
-1.89%
White Bread (500g)
$4.15 $4.15
$3.15 $3.15
31.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.52 $5.52
$3.27 $3.27
68.81%
Eggs
$4.65 $4.65
$4.19 $4.19
10.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.33 $14.33
$10.97 $10.97
30.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.88 $14.88
$8.45 $8.45
76.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.34 $19.34
$16.54 $16.54
16.93%
Apples (1kg)
$5.17 $5.17
$3.97 $3.97
30.23%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.57 $1.57
8.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.41 $4.41
$4.2 $4.2
5.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$4.89 $4.89
-7.77%
Potato (1kg)
$2.53 $2.53
$2.36 $2.36
7.20%
Onion (1kg)
$2.74 $2.74
$1.87 $1.87
46.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 $2.43
$2.4 $2.4
1.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.7 $2.7
$2.02 $2.02
33.66%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.19 $15.19
$9.53 $9.53
59.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.42 $16.42
$17.69 $17.69
-7.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 $2.35
$2.3 $2.3
2.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.7 $3.7
$2.67 $2.67
38.58%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Chicago, IL
Fort Collins, CO
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.53 $2.53
$2.04 $2.04
24.02%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.1 $74.1
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.34 $3.34
$2.56 $2.56
30.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 $1.42
$1.43 $1.43
-0.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.42 $25.42
$24.8 $24.8
2.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$0.87 $0.87
24.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K $32.4K
$27.6K $27.6K
17.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$25.3K $25.3K
3.75%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chicago, IL
Fort Collins, CO
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 $188
$165 $165
13.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$63.7 $63.7
$42.5 $42.5
49.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$65.2 $65.2
$77.3 $77.3
-15.61%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Chicago, IL
Fort Collins, CO
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.7 $76.7
$59.7 $59.7
28.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.03 $13.03
$14.81 $14.81
-12.02%
Cinema Ticket
$14.93 $14.93
$11.93 $11.93
25.15%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Chicago, IL
Fort Collins, CO
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,063 $2,063
$1,511 $1,511
36.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.2K $39.2K
$12.4K $12.4K
215.94%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Chicago, IL
Fort Collins, CO
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.3 $64.3
$67.7 $67.7
-5.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.4 $52.4
$92.2 $92.2
-43.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.2 $95.2
$79.2 $79.2
20.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 $145
$107 $107
35.79%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Chicago, IL
Fort Collins, CO
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,378 $2,378
$1,781 $1,781
33.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,584 $1,584
$1,274 $1,274
24.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,763 $4,763
$2,821 $2,821
68.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,815 $2,815
$2,244 $2,244
25.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,588 $3,588
$4,673 $4,673
-23.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,490 $2,490
$3,209 $3,209
-22.41%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Chicago, IL
Fort Collins, CO
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,275 $5,275
$4,731 $4,731
11.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.6
6.59
0.15%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 29, 2025

Last update for Fort Collins, CO: October 29, 2025

Join the CityCost newsletter โ€“ low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.