Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Hailey, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Hailey, ID: $2,515 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Hailey, ID
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Hailey, ID Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Hailey, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,515

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Hailey, ID

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 Hailey, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,515 in Hailey, ID, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Hailey, ID $2,515

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,707 in Hailey, ID, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Hailey, ID $3,707

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,898 in Hailey, ID, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Hailey, ID $4,898

Chicago, IL costs about 25% more than Hailey, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Hailey, ID sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Hailey, ID by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$18.94 $18.94

9.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$69.0 $69.0

30.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.76 $11.76

10.03%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.71 $4.71

18.90%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.72 $2.72

-2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.03 $2.03

11.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.90 $5.90

18.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$5.93 $5.93

48.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.99 $0.99

28.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.69 $3.69

2.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.92 $5.92

-10.47%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.05 $3.05

56.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$15.65 $15.65

-10.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$10.87 $10.87

34.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$17.04 $17.04

10.15%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.95 $4.95

4.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.78 $1.78

11.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.07 $4.07

-3.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.05 $5.05

-1.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.87 $2.87

-3.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.70 $2.70

2.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.30 $2.30

-3.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.53 $2.53

17.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$8.79 $8.79

59.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$15.48 $15.48

-1.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.13 $2.13

21.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.33 $3.33

5.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.08 $2.08

18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.66 $2.66

25.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.52 $1.52

-5.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$23.87 $23.87

1.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.16 $1.16

8.62%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$34.1K $34.1K

2.63%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.3K $26.3K

-0.81%

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

$193 $193

$176 $176

9.39%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$57.6 $57.6

18.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$76.2 $76.2

-19.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$42.18 $42.18

28.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

$25.05 $25.05

11.46%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$8.17 $8.17

117.14%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$991 $991

66.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$23.8K $23.8K

30.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$53.4 $53.4

23.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$40.49 $40.49

26.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$91.0 $91.0

10.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$108 $108

31.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,589 $1,589

53.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,279 $1,279

31.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,506 $2,506

88.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,160 $2,160

29.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,670 $2,670

53.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,398 $2,398

10.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.68

1.95%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hailey, ID: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Hailey, ID

$1.3K 50.9% 23.8% $399

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Hailey, ID

$414 16.5% 7.9% $36

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Hailey, ID

$304 12.1% 11.6% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Hailey, ID

$310 12.3% 3.8% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Hailey, ID

$132 5.2% 18.4% $30

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Hailey, ID

$19 * 0.7% 80.5% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Hailey, ID

$59 2.3% 34.7% $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 $1,589 in Hailey, ID. 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 in Chicago, IL versus $69 in Hailey, ID. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $414 – making Hailey, ID the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Hailey, ID

🕒 Local time

21:38 9:38 PM

20:38 8:38 PM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

8,200

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Hailey, ID 2,180 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Hailey, ID

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 Hailey, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,515 in Hailey, ID – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,773 in Hailey, ID. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hailey, ID, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,589 there versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Chicago, IL and $69 in Hailey, ID. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% 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.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Hailey, ID, where all-in costs run around $2,515, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Hailey, ID it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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