Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Fort Wayne, IN

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Wayne, IN: $2,122 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Fort Wayne, IN
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Fort Wayne, IN Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Fort Wayne, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,122

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Fort Wayne, IN

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 Wayne, IN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,122 in Fort Wayne, IN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Fort Wayne, IN $2,122

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,040 in Fort Wayne, IN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Fort Wayne, IN $3,040

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,958 in Fort Wayne, IN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Fort Wayne, IN $3,958

Chicago, IL costs about 43% more than Fort Wayne, IN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Fort Wayne, IN sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Fort Wayne, IN by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$15.16 $15.16

36.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$54.8 $54.8

62.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.13 $10.13

30.21%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.44 $4.44

27.48%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.29 $2.29

15.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.09 $2.09

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.59 $4.59

49.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$5.83 $5.83

51.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.73 $0.73

71.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.21 $3.21

15.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.50 $4.50

19.78%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.65 $3.65

29.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.27 $11.27

22.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$9.51 $9.51

51.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$14.84 $14.84

23.85%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.96 $5.96

-12.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.12 $1.12

76.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.67 $3.67

10.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.37 $4.37

13.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.37 $2.37

12.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.94 $2.94

-9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.46 $2.46

-8.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.27 $1.27

146.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.25 $11.25

22.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.18 $12.18

22.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.02 $2.02

25.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.43 $3.43

2.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.47 $1.47

65.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$54.1 $54.1

35.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.98 $2.98

6.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.56 $1.56

-10.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$26.92 $26.92

-7.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.97 $0.97

23.71%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.2K $27.2K

28.95%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.61%

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

$194 $194

$198 $198

-1.72%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$50.1 $50.1

38.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$58.5 $58.5

5.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$35.65 $35.65

34.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$23.97 $23.97

14.06%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.95 $12.95

37.53%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,369 $1,369

31.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$20.4K $20.4K

56.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$53.8 $53.8

24.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$39.28 $39.28

32.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$108 $108

-6.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$94.7 $94.7

51.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,303 $1,303

93.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$942 $942

67.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,482 $2,482

90.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,419 $1,419

89.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,645 $2,645

58.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,595 $1,595

73.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,530 $3,530

39.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.53

4.29%

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 Wayne, IN: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Fort Wayne, IN

$942 44.4% 40.3% $636

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Fort Wayne, IN

$350 16.5% 21.7% $97

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Fort Wayne, IN

$257 12.1% 25.5% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Fort Wayne, IN

$306 14.4% 5.9% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Fort Wayne, IN

$133 6.3% 18.7% $31

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Fort Wayne, IN

$71 3.3% 24.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Fort Wayne, IN

$62 2.9% 26.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,303 in Fort Wayne, IN. 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 40% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $55 in Fort Wayne, IN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $350 – making Fort Wayne, IN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Fort Wayne, IN

🕒 Local time

03:20 3:20 AM

04:20 4:20 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

248,637

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL Fort Wayne, IN 230 km

From you

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 Wayne, IN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,122 in Fort Wayne, IN – Fort Wayne, IN comes out roughly 30% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,183 in Fort Wayne, IN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fort Wayne, IN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,303 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $55 in Fort Wayne, IN. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,122 in Fort Wayne, IN. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Fort Wayne, IN – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Fort Wayne, IN. 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.