Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Harrisonburg, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Harrisonburg, VA: $2,461 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Harrisonburg, VA
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Harrisonburg, VA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Harrisonburg, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,461

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Harrisonburg, VA

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 Harrisonburg, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,461 in Harrisonburg, VA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Harrisonburg, VA $2,461

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,283 in Harrisonburg, VA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Harrisonburg, VA $3,283

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,105 in Harrisonburg, VA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Harrisonburg, VA $4,105

Chicago, IL costs about 23% more than Harrisonburg, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Harrisonburg, VA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Harrisonburg, VA by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$23.40 $23.40

-11.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$67.3 $67.3

32.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$8.94 $8.94

47.54%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.02 $5.02

12.75%

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

$2.64 $2.64

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.06 $2.06

10.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.98 $6.98

-1.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.08 $8.08

9.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.89 $0.89

40.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.11 $3.11

19.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.90 $3.90

38.21%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.48 $5.48

-13.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$9.84 $9.84

40.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$7.67 $7.67

87.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.93 $18.93

-2.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.93 $3.93

32.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.45 $1.45

36.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.96 $3.96

2.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.56 $3.56

39.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.46 $2.46

8.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.22 $2.22

19.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.43 $2.43

-7.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.06 $2.06

51.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$6.79 $6.79

103.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$11.62 $11.62

28.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.97 $1.97

28.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.74 $2.74

28.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.99 $1.99

22.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$25.19 $25.19

191.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.52 $2.52

26.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.56 $1.56

-10.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$22.52 $22.52

11.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.92 $0.92

30.43%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.3K $27.3K

28.41%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.7K $25.7K

3.73%

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

$194 $194

$136 $136

43.43%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$61.7 $61.7

12.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$72.2 $72.2

-14.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$44.83 $44.83

6.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.26 $15.26

16.71%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$799 $799

124.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$30.5K $30.5K

4.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$71.2 $71.2

-5.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$45.30 $45.30

15.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$88.8 $88.8

14.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$109 $109

31.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,281 $1,281

97.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,238 $1,238

27.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,836 $1,836

158.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,372 $1,372

96.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,223 $2,223

88.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,213 $2,213

25.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,198 $4,198

17.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.49

4.93%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Harrisonburg, VA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Harrisonburg, VA

$1.2K 50.3% 21.6% $340

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Harrisonburg, VA

$349 14.2% 22% $98

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Harrisonburg, VA

$344 14% 0.2% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Harrisonburg, VA

$269 11% 17.2% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Harrisonburg, VA

$142 5.8% 13.6% $22

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Harrisonburg, VA

$43 1.8% 53.4% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Harrisonburg, VA

$75 3.1% 9.8% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,281 in Harrisonburg, VA. 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 17% higher in Chicago, IL, 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 $67 in Harrisonburg, VA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $349 – making Harrisonburg, VA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Harrisonburg, VA

🕒 Local time

03:21 3:21 AM

04:21 4:21 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

54,215

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL Harrisonburg, VA 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Harrisonburg, VA

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 Harrisonburg, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,461 in Harrisonburg, VA – Harrisonburg, VA comes out roughly 19% 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 $3,691 in Harrisonburg, VA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Harrisonburg, VA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,281 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $67 in Harrisonburg, VA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Harrisonburg, VA, where all-in costs run around $2,461, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Harrisonburg, VA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Harrisonburg, VA – 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 Harrisonburg, VA. 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.