Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Fort Scott, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Scott, KS: $2,480 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Fort Scott, KS
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Fort Scott, KS Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Fort Scott, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,480

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Fort Scott, KS

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 Scott, KS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,480 in Fort Scott, KS, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Fort Scott, KS $2,480

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,004 in Fort Scott, KS, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Fort Scott, KS $3,004

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,527 in Fort Scott, KS, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Fort Scott, KS $3,527

Chicago, IL costs about 27% more than Fort Scott, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Fort Scott, KS sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Fort Scott, KS by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$16.44 $16.44

25.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$77.7 $77.7

16.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$9.47 $9.47

36.64%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.63 $5.63

-0.53%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.13 $2.13

23.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.63 $1.63

39.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.15 $6.15

13.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.80 $6.80

29.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.97 $0.97

30.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.02 $4.02

-5.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.92 $5.92

-10.47%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$5.34 $5.34

-10.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$8.21 $8.21

70.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$8.73 $8.73

67.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$13.60 $13.60

38.01%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.59 $4.59

13.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.52 $1.52

30.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.70 $2.70

45.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.61 $4.61

7.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.92 $1.92

43.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.47 $2.47

11.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.51 $1.51

47.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.01 $2.01

48.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$9.07 $9.07

54.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$18.64 $18.64

-18.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.51 $2.51

2.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.37 $4.37

-19.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.84 $1.84

34.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.08 $3.08

8.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.99 $1.99

-28.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$31.87 $31.87

-23.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.00 $1.00

26.00%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

29.00%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.0K $26.0K

0.35%

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

$193 $193

$176 $176

9.46%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$55.6 $55.6

22.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$63.2 $63.2

-2.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$38.63 $38.63

40.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$10.05 $10.05

76.52%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,056 $1,056

56.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

19.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$59.1 $59.1

11.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$50.6 $50.6

1.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$111 $111

-9.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$120 $120

17.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,625 $1,625

50.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,297 $1,297

29.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,552 $2,552

84.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$878 $878

218.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,522 $2,522

62.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,721 $2,721

-2.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

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 19, 2026

Last update for Fort Scott, KS: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Fort Scott, KS

$1.3K 52.3% 22.7% $381

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Fort Scott, KS

$369 14.9% 17.8% $80

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Fort Scott, KS

$287 11.6% 16.5% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Fort Scott, KS

$295 11.9% 8.5% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Fort Scott, KS

$153 6.2% 4.9% $7.8

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Fort Scott, KS

$20 * 0.8% 78.6% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Fort Scott, KS

$59 2.4% 34.5% $31

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 $1,625 in Fort Scott, KS. 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 $78.0 in Fort Scott, KS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $369 – making Fort Scott, KS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Fort Scott, KS

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

7,700

💱 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 Scott, KS 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Fort Scott, KS

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 Scott, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,480 in Fort Scott, KS – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,721 in Fort Scott, KS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fort Scott, KS, 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 $78.0 in Fort Scott, KS. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,480 in Fort Scott, KS. 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 $2,480 in Fort Scott, KS to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Fort Scott, KS. 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.