Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Idaho Falls, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Idaho Falls, ID: $2,315 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Idaho Falls, ID
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Idaho Falls, ID Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Idaho Falls, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,315

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Idaho Falls, ID

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 Idaho Falls, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,315 in Idaho Falls, ID, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Idaho Falls, ID $2,315

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,380 in Idaho Falls, ID, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Idaho Falls, ID $3,380

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,446 in Idaho Falls, ID, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Idaho Falls, ID $4,446

Chicago, IL costs about 31% more than Idaho Falls, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Idaho Falls, ID sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Idaho Falls, ID by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$17.72 $17.72

16.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$51.9 $51.9

71.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.09 $10.09

30.72%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.02 $5.02

12.75%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.27 $2.27

16.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.55 $1.55

47.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.11 $4.11

67.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.10 $7.10

24.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.72 $0.72

73.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.92 $3.92

-5.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.97 $2.97

81.48%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.12 $4.12

15.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.68 $11.68

18.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$6.41 $6.41

124.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$9.79 $9.79

87.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$2.18 $2.18

139.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.26 $1.26

57.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.07 $2.07

96.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.14 $2.14

132.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.68 $1.68

58.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.46 $2.46

8.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.86 $1.86

20.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.88 $1.88

66.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$10.36 $10.36

33.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$7.34 $7.34

102.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.77 $1.77

43.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.53 $1.53

129.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.05 $3.05

-20.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.53 $2.53

25.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.35 $2.35

-40.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$25.09 $25.09

-0.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.11 $1.11

8.11%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$34.3K $34.3K

2.21%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.02%

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

$194 $194

$173 $173

12.57%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$52.7 $52.7

31.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$63.9 $63.9

-3.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$38.67 $38.67

23.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$11.42 $11.42

55.95%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$957 $957

87.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$20.6K $20.6K

54.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$41.75 $41.75

60.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$44.87 $44.87

16.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$70.2 $70.2

44.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$96.4 $96.4

49.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,323 $1,323

91.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,266 $1,266

24.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,073 $2,073

128.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,207 $2,207

22.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$1,923 $1,923

117.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,946 $1,946

42.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,499 $3,499

40.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.12

11.27%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Idaho Falls, ID: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Idaho Falls, ID

$1.3K 54.7% 19.8% $312

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Idaho Falls, ID

$275 11.9% 38.5% $172

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Idaho Falls, ID

$282 12.2% 18.2% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Idaho Falls, ID

$289 12.5% 11.1% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Idaho Falls, ID

$114 4.9% 30.5% $50

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Idaho Falls, ID

$26 * 1.1% 71.7% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Idaho Falls, ID

$62 2.7% 26.4% $22

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 $1,323 in Idaho Falls, ID. 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 41% 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 $52 in Idaho Falls, ID. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $275 – making Idaho Falls, ID the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Idaho Falls, ID

🕒 Local time

15:00 3:00 PM

14:00 2:00 PM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

61,459

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Idaho Falls, ID 2,000 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Idaho Falls, ID

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 Idaho Falls, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,315 in Idaho Falls, ID – Idaho Falls, ID comes out roughly 24% 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 $3,472 in Idaho Falls, ID. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Idaho Falls, ID, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,323 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $52 in Idaho Falls, ID. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 62% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Idaho Falls, ID – 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 Idaho Falls, ID. 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.