Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Hartford, CT

For one person, living is cheaper in Hartford, CT: $2,487 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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
119

Cost of Living Index in Hartford, CT
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Hartford, CT Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Hartford, CT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,487

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Hartford, CT

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 Hartford, CT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,487 in Hartford, CT, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Hartford, CT $2,487

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,560 in Hartford, CT, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Hartford, CT $3,560

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,633 in Hartford, CT, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Hartford, CT $4,633

Chicago, IL costs about 24% more than Hartford, CT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Hartford, CT sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Hartford, CT by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$20.66 $20.66

-1.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$98.6 $98.6

-10.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$11.97 $11.97

7.35%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$4.29 $4.29

34.73%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$3.17 $3.17

-13.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.47 $1.47

53.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$6.90 $6.90

-0.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$7.41 $7.41

24.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.35 $1.35

-6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.92 $4.92

-27.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.21 $4.21

27.79%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$5.25 $5.25

-13.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$19.69 $19.69

-30.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$12.86 $12.86

9.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$16.98 $16.98

6.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$7.07 $7.07

-27.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.03 $2.03

-2.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.54 $4.54

-14.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.52 $4.52

6.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.62 $1.62

73.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.71 $2.71

-1.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.15 $1.15

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.58 $2.58

17.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$13.60 $13.60

2.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$16.14 $16.14

-6.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.75 $1.75

50.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.99 $1.99

73.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.76 $1.76

38.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$63.3 $63.3

18.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.06 $3.06

3.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.22 $2.22

-23.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$42.61 $42.61

-41.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.18 $1.18

8.47%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.3K $27.3K

30.92%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

3.28%

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

$192 $192

$197 $197

-2.49%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$54.0 $54.0

28.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$53.4 $53.4

16.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$50.3 $50.3

-4.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

$30.22 $30.22

-10.32%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$12.94 $12.94

37.79%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$830 $830

118.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$36.3K $36.3K

11.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$58.5 $58.5

13.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$38.06 $38.06

35.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$51.6 $51.6

100.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$80.6 $80.6

76.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,886 $1,886

34.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,144 $1,144

41.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,896 $2,896

66.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$1,502 $1,502

82.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$2,363 $2,363

76.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,047 $2,047

33.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$3,275 $3,275

50.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.59

2.88%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Hartford, CT: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Hartford, CT

$1.1K 46% 29.4% $477

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Hartford, CT

$454 18.3% 3.4% $15

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Hartford, CT

$321 12.9% 6.8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Hartford, CT

$304 12.2% 6% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Hartford, CT

$103 4.1% 37.1% $61

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Hartford, CT

$85 3.4% 12.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Hartford, CT

$76 3.1% 8.7% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,886 in Hartford, CT. 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 50% 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 $99 in Hartford, CT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $454 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Hartford, CT

🕒 Local time

18:57 6:57 PM

19:57 7:57 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

122,366

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Hartford, CT 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Hartford, CT

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 Hartford, CT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,487 in Hartford, CT – Hartford, CT comes out roughly 19% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,730 in Hartford, CT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hartford, CT, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,886 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $99 in Hartford, CT. 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 Hartford, CT, where all-in costs run around $2,487, than in Chicago, IL at $3,072. In Hartford, CT it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hartford, CT – 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 Hartford, CT. 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.