Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and High Point, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in High Point, NC: $2,187 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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
106

Cost of Living Index in High Point, NC
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High Point, NC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

High Point, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,187

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in High Point, NC

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 High Point, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,187 in High Point, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
High Point, NC $2,187

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,183 in High Point, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
High Point, NC $3,183

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,180 in High Point, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
High Point, NC $4,180

Chicago, IL costs about 39% more than High Point, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Chicago, IL and High Point, NC sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, High Point, NC by 61%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$17.93 $17.93

15.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$80.9 $80.9

10.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.91 $9.91

33.10%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.39 $5.39

5.01%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.70 $2.70

-2.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.01 $2.01

13.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.89 $4.89

40.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.07 $6.07

45.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.94 $0.94

32.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.01 $4.01

-7.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.22 $3.22

67.39%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.29 $4.29

10.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$16.53 $16.53

-16.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$13.62 $13.62

5.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.34 $18.34

0.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.44 $5.44

-4.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.48 $1.48

33.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.75 $4.75

-14.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.65 $4.65

6.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.83 $3.83

-30.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.40 $3.40

-21.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.96 $1.96

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.26 $2.26

38.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.79 $8.79

57.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.22 $15.22

-2.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.64 $1.64

54.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.79 $3.79

-7.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.46 $2.46

-1.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$79.1 $79.1

-7.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.02 $3.02

5.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.91 $1.91

-27.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$14.86 $14.86

68.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.01 $1.01

18.81%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$29.9K $29.9K

17.24%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.9K $25.9K

2.88%

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

$194 $194

$172 $172

12.98%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$52.1 $52.1

33.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$74.3 $74.3

-17.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.12 $12.12

46.95%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,292 $1,292

38.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$10.1K $10.1K

216.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$38.75 $38.75

72.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$34.60 $34.60

50.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$85.0 $85.0

19.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$111 $111

29.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,174 $1,174

115.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$918 $918

71.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,438 $1,438

229.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,312 $1,312

105.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$1,954 $1,954

114.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,923 $1,923

43.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,261 $4,261

15.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.48

5.09%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for High Point, NC: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

High Point, NC

$918 42% 41.8% $660

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

High Point, NC

$430 19.7% 3.8% $17

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

High Point, NC

$293 13.4% 15% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

High Point, NC

$299 13.7% 8.3% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

High Point, NC

$121 5.6% 26% $43

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

High Point, NC

$102 4.6% 8.7% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

High Point, NC

$24 * 1.1% 71% $59

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 $1,174 in High Point, NC. 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 16% 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 $81 in High Point, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $430 – making High Point, NC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 High Point, NC

🕒 Local time

04:01 4:01 AM

05:01 5:01 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

104,371

💱 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 High Point, NC 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
High Point, NC

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 High Point, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,187 in High Point, NC – High Point, NC comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,280 in High Point, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in High Point, NC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,174 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $81 in High Point, NC. 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 High Point, NC, where all-in costs run around $2,187, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In High Point, NC it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward High Point, NC – 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 High Point, NC. 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.