Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Golden, CO Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Golden, CO

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Chicago, IL is 17.2% more expensive than Golden, CO without rent, and 13% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Chicago, IL is 22.3% more expensive than Golden, CO without rent, and 22.7% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Chicago, IL
Golden, CO
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.82 $20.82
$20.33 $20.33
2.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$100 $100
$74 $74
35.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.97 $11.97
$10.17 $10.17
17.70%
Cappuccino
$5.56 $5.56
$5.83 $5.83
-4.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 $3.11
$2.53 $2.53
22.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$2.37 $2.37
2.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.86 $6.86
$6.18 $6.18
11.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.45 $8.45
$4.98 $4.98
69.68%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Chicago, IL
Golden, CO
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.02 $1.02
1.96%
White Bread (500g)
$4.15 $4.15
$3.52 $3.52
17.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.52 $5.52
$4.54 $4.54
21.59%
Eggs
$4.65 $4.65
$5.4 $5.4
-13.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.33 $14.33
$15.36 $15.36
-6.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.88 $14.88
$15.13 $15.13
-1.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.34 $19.34
$18.46 $18.46
4.77%
Apples (1kg)
$5.17 $5.17
$4.51 $4.51
14.63%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.6 $1.6
6.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.41 $4.41
$3.82 $3.82
15.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$4.82 $4.82
-6.43%
Potato (1kg)
$2.53 $2.53
$2.68 $2.68
-5.60%
Onion (1kg)
$2.74 $2.74
$2.67 $2.67
2.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 $2.43
$2.25 $2.25
8.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.7 $2.7
$2.31 $2.31
16.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.19 $15.19
$9.87 $9.87
53.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.42 $16.42
$20.21 $20.21
-18.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 $2.35
$2.25 $2.25
4.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.7 $3.7
$3.71 $3.71
-0.27%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Chicago, IL
Golden, CO
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.53 $2.53
$2.03 $2.03
24.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.1 $74.1
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.34 $3.34
$2.46 $2.46
35.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 $1.42
$1.38 $1.38
2.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.42 $25.42
$25.27 $25.27
0.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$0.87 $0.87
24.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K $32.4K
$26.6K $26.6K
21.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$25.9K $25.9K
1.15%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chicago, IL
Golden, CO
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 $188
$188 $188
-0.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$63.7 $63.7
$71.7 $71.7
-11.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$65.2 $65.2
$70 $70
-6.83%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Chicago, IL
Golden, CO
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.7 $76.7
$42.65 $42.65
79.88%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.03 $13.03
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.93 $14.93
$15.19 $15.19
-1.71%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Chicago, IL
Golden, CO
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,063 $2,063
$1,485 $1,485
38.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.2K $39.2K
$24.8K $24.8K
58.03%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Chicago, IL
Golden, CO
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.3 $64.3
$58.8 $58.8
9.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.4 $52.4
$25.02 $25.02
109.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.2 $95.2
$89.8 $89.8
6.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 $145
$99.2 $99.2
45.80%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Chicago, IL
Golden, CO
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,378 $2,378
$1,582 $1,582
50.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,584 $1,584
$1,341 $1,341
18.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,763 $4,763
$2,643 $2,643
80.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,815 $2,815
$2,257 $2,257
24.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,588 $3,588
$2,764 $2,764
29.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,490 $2,490
$2,179 $2,179
14.31%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Chicago, IL
Golden, CO
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,275 $5,275
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.6
6.6
-

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 29, 2025

Last update for Golden, CO: October 28, 2025

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