Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Hilo, HI

For one person, living is cheaper in Hilo, HI: $2,865 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Hilo, HI
Learn more

Hilo, HI Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Hilo, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,865

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Hilo, HI

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 Hilo, HI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,865 in Hilo, HI, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Hilo, HI $2,865

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,388 in Hilo, HI, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Hilo, HI $4,388

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,910 in Hilo, HI, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Hilo, HI $5,910

Chicago, IL costs about 7% more than Hilo, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Hilo, HI sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Hilo, HI by 112%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$20.77 $20.77

-1.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$79.9 $79.9

10.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$12.17 $12.17

5.59%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.63 $5.63

2.66%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.90 $2.90

-5.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.42 $2.42

-6.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$6.32 $6.32

8.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$7.57 $7.57

22.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.75 $1.75

-28.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$10.08 $10.08

-64.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.28 $4.28

25.70%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$7.07 $7.07

-35.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$19.98 $19.98

-31.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$17.57 $17.57

-19.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$30.15 $30.15

-40.10%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$8.57 $8.57

-39.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.39 $2.39

-17.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$10.48 $10.48

-62.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$12.21 $12.21

-60.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$9.04 $9.04

-68.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$7.81 $7.81

-65.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$5.36 $5.36

-61.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.02 $3.02

0.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$11.90 $11.90

16.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$22.03 $22.03

-31.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.76 $1.76

49.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.95 $2.95

7.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.00 $2.00

-15.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$23.57 $23.57

5.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.41 $1.41

-9.22%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$25.5K $25.5K

40.31%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.95%

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

$192 $192

$302 $302

-36.40%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$67.7 $67.7

2.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$125 $125

-50.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$37.04 $37.04

29.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

$25.30 $25.30

7.11%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$13.24 $13.24

34.67%

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

$1,815 $1,815

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$11.8K $11.8K

243.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$36.77 $36.77

79.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$29.88 $29.88

71.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$66.8 $66.8

54.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$83.9 $83.9

70.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,463 $1,463

73.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,142 $1,142

41.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,574 $2,574

87.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,199 $2,199

24.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$5,600 $5,600

-25.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$4,662 $4,662

-41.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$3,795 $3,795

29.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.62

2.42%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Hilo, HI: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Hilo, HI

$1.1K 39.9% 29.5% $479

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Hilo, HI

$715 * 25% 62.9% $276

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Hilo, HI

$338 11.8% 1.7% $5.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Hilo, HI

$495 17.3% 52.9% $171

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Hilo, HI

$98 3.4% 40.2% $66

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Hilo, HI

$13 * 0.5% 86.6% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Hilo, HI

$64 2.2% 23.9% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,463 in Hilo, HI. 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 30% 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 $80 in Hilo, HI. Groceries tell a different story – $439 in Chicago, IL vs $715 in Hilo, HI – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Hilo, HI

🕒 Local time

05:29 5:29 AM

01:29 1:29 AM

4 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

44,186

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Hilo, HI 6,720 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Hilo, HI

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 Hilo, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,865 in Hilo, HI – Hilo, HI comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,297 in Hilo, HI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hilo, HI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,463 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $80 in Hilo, HI. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,865 in Hilo, HI. That makes Hilo, HI about 7% cheaper.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,865 in Hilo, HI. 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 $2,865 in Hilo, HI to $3,072 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Hilo, HI. 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.