Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Huntsville, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Huntsville, AL: $2,267 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 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
110

Cost of Living Index in Huntsville, AL
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Huntsville, AL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Huntsville, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Huntsville, AL

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 Huntsville, AL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,267 in Huntsville, AL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Huntsville, AL $2,267

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,277 in Huntsville, AL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Huntsville, AL $3,277

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,286 in Huntsville, AL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Huntsville, AL $4,286

Chicago, IL costs about 34% more than Huntsville, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Huntsville, AL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Huntsville, AL by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$16.67 $16.67

24.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$72.3 $72.3

23.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.82 $10.82

21.90%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.87 $4.87

16.22%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.42 $2.42

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.89 $1.89

20.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.83 $5.83

17.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.72 $7.72

14.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.81 $0.81

54.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.26 $3.26

14.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.59 $2.59

108.11%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.41 $4.41

7.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$9.45 $9.45

46.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$11.65 $11.65

23.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$14.91 $14.91

23.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.91 $3.91

33.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.33 $1.33

48.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.30 $3.30

23.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.09 $3.09

60.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.63 $2.63

1.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.27 $2.27

17.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.21 $2.21

1.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.83 $1.83

71.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.19 $8.19

68.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.86 $13.86

7.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.65 $1.65

53.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.16 $3.16

11.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.02 $1.02

138.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$30.41 $30.41

141.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.21 $4.21

-24.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.86 $1.86

-25.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$32.56 $32.56

-23.13%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

17.24%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.77%

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

$194 $194

$166 $166

17.07%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$67.5 $67.5

2.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$72.3 $72.3

-14.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$48.83 $48.83

-1.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$18.54 $18.54

47.46%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$11.82 $11.82

50.68%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,541 $1,541

16.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$8,542 $8,542

273.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$72.9 $72.9

-8.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$53.3 $53.3

-2.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$88.6 $88.6

14.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$168 $168

-14.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,447 $1,447

74.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,041 $1,041

51.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,283 $2,283

107.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,548 $1,548

73.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,330 $2,330

79.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,668 $1,668

65.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,351 $4,351

13.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.65

2.41%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Huntsville, AL: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Huntsville, AL

$1K 45.9% 34% $537

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Huntsville, AL

$342 15.1% 23.6% $106

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Huntsville, AL

$286 12.6% 17% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Huntsville, AL

$306 13.5% 6% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Huntsville, AL

$172 7.6% 4.9% $8

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Huntsville, AL

$48 2.1% 48.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Huntsville, AL

$72 3.2% 13.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,447 in Huntsville, AL. 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 13% 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 $72 in Huntsville, AL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $342 – making Huntsville, AL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Huntsville, AL

🕒 Local time

20:07 8:07 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

215,006

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Huntsville, AL 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Huntsville, AL

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 Huntsville, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,267 in Huntsville, AL – Huntsville, AL comes out roughly 25% 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 $3,401 in Huntsville, AL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Huntsville, AL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,447 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $72 in Huntsville, AL. 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 Huntsville, AL, where all-in costs run around $2,267, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Huntsville, AL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,267 in Huntsville, AL to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Huntsville, AL. 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.