Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Georgetown, DE

For one person, living is cheaper in Georgetown, DE: $2,858 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 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
131

Cost of Living Index in Georgetown, DE
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Georgetown, DE Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Georgetown, DE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,858

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Georgetown, DE

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 Georgetown, DE actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,858 in Georgetown, DE, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Georgetown, DE $2,858

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,083 in Georgetown, DE, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Georgetown, DE $4,083

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,308 in Georgetown, DE, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Georgetown, DE $5,308

Chicago, IL costs about 6% more than Georgetown, DE, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Georgetown, DE sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Georgetown, DE by 110%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.28 $20.28

2.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$34.70 $34.70

157.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.16 $12.16

8.47%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$3.97 $3.97

42.57%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.62 $2.62

0.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.03 $2.03

12.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.05 $6.05

13.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$4.94 $4.94

78.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.08 $1.08

15.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.67 $3.67

1.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$6.54 $6.54

-17.58%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$6.49 $6.49

-26.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$13.06 $13.06

5.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$17.04 $17.04

-15.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.88 $19.88

-7.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.54 $4.54

14.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.22 $2.22

-10.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.21 $5.21

-22.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.90 $5.90

-15.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.15 $4.15

-35.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$4.67 $4.67

-43.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.01 $2.01

11.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.53 $2.53

23.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.19 $11.19

23.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$20.84 $20.84

-28.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.74 $2.74

-7.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.29 $3.29

6.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.09 $2.09

16.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$67.2 $67.2

9.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.95 $2.95

7.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.12 $2.12

-34.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$41.27 $41.27

-39.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.95 $0.95

26.32%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$31.1K $31.1K

12.82%

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

$250 $250

-22.31%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$49.92 $49.92

39.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$62.3 $62.3

-1.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$43.68 $43.68

9.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$20.25 $20.25

-12.05%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$3,048 $3,048

-41.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$34.1K $34.1K

-6.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$39.85 $39.85

68.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$25.28 $25.28

106.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$78.7 $78.7

28.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$123 $123

17.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,509 $1,509

67.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,405 $1,405

12.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,827 $2,827

67.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,360 $2,360

14.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,136 $3,136

33.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,416 $2,416

14.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.67

2.10%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Georgetown, DE: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Georgetown, DE

$1.4K 49.2% 11% $173

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Georgetown, DE

$492 17.2% 10% $45

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Georgetown, DE

$305 10.7% 11.5% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Georgetown, DE

$362 12.7% 11.4% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Georgetown, DE

$120 4.2% 26.9% $44

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Georgetown, DE

$89 3.1% 4.6% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Georgetown, DE

$84 3% 0.8% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,509 in Georgetown, DE. 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 $89 in Chicago, IL versus $35 in Georgetown, DE. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $492 in Georgetown, DE – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Georgetown, DE

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

17:50 5:50 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

67,176

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Georgetown, DE 1,100 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Georgetown, DE

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 Georgetown, DE: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,858 in Georgetown, DE – Georgetown, DE comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,287 in Georgetown, DE. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Georgetown, DE, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,509 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $35 in Georgetown, DE. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,858 in Georgetown, DE to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.