Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Hanover, NH

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,555 in Hanover, NH, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hanover, NH outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
169

Cost of Living Index in Hanover, NH
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Hanover, NH Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Hanover, NH

🇺🇸 United States

$3,555

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Hanover, NH

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 Hanover, NH actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,555 in Hanover, NH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Hanover, NH $3,555

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,036 in Hanover, NH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Hanover, NH $5,036

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,516 in Hanover, NH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Hanover, NH $6,516

Chicago, IL is about 15% cheaper than Hanover, NH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Hanover, NH sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Hanover, NH by 161%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$17.87 $17.87

15.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$74.3 $74.3

20.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.06 $11.06

19.26%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.06 $5.06

11.86%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.99 $1.99

32.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.45 $2.45

-6.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.90 $6.90

-0.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$4.87 $4.87

81.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.08 $1.08

15.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.71 $4.71

-21.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$8.52 $8.52

-36.74%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.03 $4.03

17.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$19.49 $19.49

-28.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$10.09 $10.09

42.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$16.40 $16.40

12.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.79 $4.79

8.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.63 $1.63

21.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$6.02 $6.02

-32.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.89 $6.89

-27.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$6.08 $6.08

-56.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.81 $3.81

-30.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.32 $3.32

-32.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.61 $2.61

19.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.46 $9.46

46.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.27 $15.27

-2.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.96 $1.96

29.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.51 $2.51

39.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.96 $1.96

62.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.57 $1.57

-11.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$10.94 $10.94

128.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.04 $1.04

15.38%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$26.4K $26.4K

32.96%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$24.8K $24.8K

7.53%

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

$194 $194

$119 $119

63.20%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$70.1 $70.1

-0.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$59.5 $59.5

3.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$53.9 $53.9

-11.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$25.23 $25.23

8.36%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.03 $14.03

26.94%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,226 $1,226

46.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$51.7 $51.7

29.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$60.7 $60.7

-14.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$101 $101

0.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$134 $134

7.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$3,023 $3,023

-16.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,285 $2,285

-30.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$4,635 $4,635

2.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$3,594 $3,594

-25.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$6,764 $6,764

-38.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$4,620 $4,620

-40.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$5,364 $5,364

-8.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.5

4.77%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Hanover, NH: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Hanover, NH

$2.3K 64.3% 44.8% $707

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Hanover, NH

$474 13.3% 6% $27

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Hanover, NH

$299 8.4% 13.3% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Hanover, NH

$249 7% 23.6% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Hanover, NH

$156 4.4% 4.6% $7.6

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Hanover, NH

$9.8 * 0.3% 89.5% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Hanover, NH

$82 2.3% 1.9% $1.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $3,023 in Hanover, NH. 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 9% higher in Hanover, NH, 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 $74 in Hanover, NH. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $474 in Hanover, NH – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Hanover, NH

🕒 Local time

04:03 4:03 AM

05:03 5:03 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

11,260

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Hanover, NH 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Hanover, NH

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 Hanover, NH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $3,555 in Hanover, NH – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 15% 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 $5,332 in Hanover, NH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chicago, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,526 there versus $3,023 in Hanover, NH.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $74 in Hanover, NH. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Hanover, NH, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $3,555 in Hanover, NH. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $3,555 in Hanover, NH. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chicago, IL. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hanover, NH makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.