Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Fort Madison, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Madison, IA: $2,559 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Fort Madison, IA
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Fort Madison, IA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Fort Madison, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,559

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Fort Madison, IA

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 Madison, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Fort Madison, IA $2,559

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,754 in Fort Madison, IA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Fort Madison, IA $3,754

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,950 in Fort Madison, IA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Fort Madison, IA $4,950

Chicago, IL costs about 23% more than Fort Madison, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Fort Madison, IA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Fort Madison, IA by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$19.82 $19.82

4.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$76.2 $76.2

18.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.40 $11.40

13.51%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.49 $5.49

2.00%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.63 $2.63

0.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.98 $1.98

14.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.13 $6.13

13.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.37 $7.37

19.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.05 $1.05

20.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.45 $3.45

10.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.30 $4.30

23.26%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.15 $4.15

14.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$12.60 $12.60

10.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$11.33 $11.33

28.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$17.07 $17.07

9.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.89 $4.89

6.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.58 $1.58

25.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.23 $4.23

-7.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.82 $4.82

2.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.84 $2.84

-2.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.94 $2.94

-6.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.14 $2.14

3.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.21 $2.21

34.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$10.10 $10.10

38.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$15.04 $15.04

1.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.68 $1.68

53.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.00 $3.00

16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.27 $2.27

8.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.33 $3.33

0.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.76 $1.76

-18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$31.70 $31.70

-23.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.92 $0.92

36.96%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$26.6K $26.6K

31.84%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$23.8K $23.8K

9.48%

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

$193 $193

$201 $201

-4.34%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$59.0 $59.0

15.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$71.0 $71.0

-13.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$41.05 $41.05

31.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$14.14 $14.14

25.46%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,439 $1,439

14.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$23.7K $23.7K

30.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$53.8 $53.8

22.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$40.89 $40.89

25.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$88.0 $88.0

13.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$115 $115

22.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,582 $1,582

54.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,287 $1,287

30.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,533 $2,533

86.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,141 $2,141

30.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,414 $2,414

70.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,589 $2,589

2.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

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 19, 2026

Last update for Fort Madison, IA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Fort Madison, IA

$1.3K 50.3% 23.3% $391

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Fort Madison, IA

$393 15.4% 12.5% $56

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Fort Madison, IA

$322 12.6% 6.1% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Fort Madison, IA

$331 13% 2.8% $9.2

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Fort Madison, IA

$134 5.2% 17% $27

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Fort Madison, IA

$21 * 0.8% 77.7% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Fort Madison, IA

$69 2.7% 22.6% $20

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 $1,582 in Fort Madison, IA. 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 $76.0 in Fort Madison, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $393 – making Fort Madison, IA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Fort Madison, IA

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

10,270

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Fort Madison, IA 340 km

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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 Fort Madison, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,838 in Fort Madison, IA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fort Madison, IA, 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 $76.0 in Fort Madison, IA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% 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 $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA. 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 $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Fort Madison, IA. 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.