Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Collins, CO: $2,816 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Fort Collins, CO
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Fort Collins, CO Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Fort Collins, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,816

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Fort Collins, CO

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 Fort Collins, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Fort Collins, CO $2,816

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,951 in Fort Collins, CO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Fort Collins, CO $3,951

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,085 in Fort Collins, CO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Fort Collins, CO $5,085

Chicago, IL costs about 8% more than Fort Collins, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Fort Collins, CO sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Fort Collins, CO by 107%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$22.88 $22.88

-9.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$79.0 $79.0

12.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.24 $11.24

17.35%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.22 $6.22

-9.00%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.54 $2.54

3.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.06 $2.06

10.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.05 $7.05

-2.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.89 $6.89

28.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.03 $1.03

21.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.99 $2.99

24.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.79 $2.79

93.19%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.13 $4.13

14.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.15 $11.15

24.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$9.23 $9.23

56.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.48 $19.48

-5.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.98 $4.98

4.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.52 $1.52

30.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.81 $4.81

-15.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.35 $5.35

-7.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.58 $3.58

-25.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$4.66 $4.66

-42.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.33 $2.33

-3.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.78 $1.78

75.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$10.32 $10.32

33.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$16.64 $16.64

-10.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.47 $2.47

2.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.71 $2.71

29.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.43 $2.43

30.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.90 $1.90

-26.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$24.61 $24.61

1.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.02 $1.02

17.65%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.4K $28.4K

23.57%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.98%

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

$194 $194

$210 $210

-7.48%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$56.6 $56.6

22.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$70.6 $70.6

-12.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$51.8 $51.8

-7.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$29.76 $29.76

-8.13%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$11.96 $11.96

48.91%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,288 $1,288

39.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$12.6K $12.6K

154.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$59.1 $59.1

13.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$68.5 $68.5

-23.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$81.6 $81.6

24.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$114 $114

26.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,817 $1,817

39.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,499 $1,499

5.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,837 $2,837

67.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,143 $2,143

25.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$4,076 $4,076

2.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,793 $2,793

-0.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,503 $4,503

9.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.77

0.59%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Fort Collins, CO: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Fort Collins, CO

$1.5K 53.2% 5% $79

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Fort Collins, CO

$388 13.8% 13.3% $60

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Fort Collins, CO

$359 12.7% 4% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Fort Collins, CO

$337 12% 3.6% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Fort Collins, CO

$145 5.2% 11.3% $19

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Fort Collins, CO

$12 * 0.4% 87.2% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Fort Collins, CO

$76 2.7% 9.4% $7.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,817 in Fort Collins, CO. 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 9% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $79 in Fort Collins, CO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $388 – making Fort Collins, CO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Fort Collins, CO

🕒 Local time

11:34 11:34 AM

10:34 10:34 AM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

148,612

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Fort Collins, CO 1,460 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Fort Collins, CO

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 Fort Collins, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO – Fort Collins, CO comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,224 in Fort Collins, CO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fort Collins, CO, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,817 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $79 in Fort Collins, CO. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO. 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 $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Fort Collins, CO. 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.