Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Great Falls, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Great Falls, MT: $2,223 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Great Falls, MT
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Great Falls, MT Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Great Falls, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Great Falls, MT

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 Great Falls, MT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,223 in Great Falls, MT, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Great Falls, MT $2,223

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,105 in Great Falls, MT, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Great Falls, MT $3,105

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,987 in Great Falls, MT, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Great Falls, MT $3,987

Chicago, IL costs about 38% more than Great Falls, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Great Falls, MT sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Great Falls, MT by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$15.08 $15.08

35.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$39.24 $39.24

125.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$9.70 $9.70

32.47%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$4.38 $4.38

31.96%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.45 $2.45

11.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.95 $1.95

15.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$5.97 $5.97

15.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$6.09 $6.09

51.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.11 $1.11

13.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.33 $3.33

6.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$5.00 $5.00

7.60%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$3.27 $3.27

39.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$16.62 $16.62

-17.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$10.19 $10.19

38.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$12.15 $12.15

48.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.96 $4.96

4.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.40 $1.40

41.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.14 $4.14

-6.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.21 $2.21

118.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.39 $2.39

17.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.91 $2.91

-8.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.40 $2.40

-13.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.27 $3.27

-7.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$8.47 $8.47

64.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$17.94 $17.94

-16.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.01 $2.01

30.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$4.43 $4.43

-22.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$29.78 $29.78

152.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$6.16 $6.16

-48.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.35 $1.35

25.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$39.70 $39.70

-37.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.98 $0.98

30.61%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$32.7K $32.7K

9.36%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.1K $24.1K

11.28%

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

$192 $192

$131 $131

46.74%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$39.45 $39.45

76.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$68.4 $68.4

-9.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$63.4 $63.4

-24.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$11.57 $11.57

54.11%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$927 $927

95.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$17.7K $17.7K

130.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$25.14 $25.14

163.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$29.60 $29.60

73.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$80.7 $80.7

28.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$64.4 $64.4

121.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,420 $1,420

78.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,111 $1,111

45.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,626 $2,626

83.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$1,655 $1,655

65.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$2,207 $2,207

88.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,205 $2,205

23.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$3,555 $3,555

38.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.2

9.35%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Great Falls, MT: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Great Falls, MT

$1.1K 50% 31.5% $510

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Great Falls, MT

$392 17.7% 10.7% $47

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Great Falls, MT

$262 11.8% 23.9% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Great Falls, MT

$239 10.7% 26.3% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Great Falls, MT

$90 4.1% 45% $74

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Great Falls, MT

$43 * 1.9% 55.8% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Great Falls, MT

$87 3.9% 3.7% $3.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,420 in Great Falls, MT. 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 38% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $39 in Great Falls, MT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $392 – making Great Falls, MT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Great Falls, MT

🕒 Local time

08:35 8:35 AM

07:35 7:35 AM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

60,442

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Great Falls, MT 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Great Falls, MT

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 Great Falls, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,223 in Great Falls, MT – Great Falls, MT comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,334 in Great Falls, MT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Great Falls, MT, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,420 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $39 in Great Falls, MT. 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 $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,223 in Great Falls, MT. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Great Falls, MT – 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 Great Falls, MT. 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.