Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Iowa City, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Iowa City, IA: $2,251 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Iowa City, IA
Learn more

Iowa City, IA Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Iowa City, IA

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 Iowa City, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,251 in Iowa City, IA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Iowa City, IA $2,251

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,264 in Iowa City, IA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Iowa City, IA $3,264

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,276 in Iowa City, IA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Iowa City, IA $4,276

Chicago, IL costs about 35% more than Iowa City, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Iowa City, IA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Iowa City, IA by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$15.12 $15.12

36.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$67.3 $67.3

32.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.03 $9.03

46.07%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.54 $5.54

2.17%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.77 $2.77

-4.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.23 $2.23

2.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.86 $4.86

41.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.13 $7.13

23.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.92 $0.92

35.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.79 $2.79

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.02 $2.02

166.83%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.71 $3.71

27.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$9.43 $9.43

46.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$10.64 $10.64

35.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.95 $19.95

-7.87%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.37 $3.37

54.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.22 $1.22

62.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.65 $2.65

53.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.87 $4.87

2.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.98 $1.98

34.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.36 $2.36

12.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.71 $1.71

30.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.38 $2.38

31.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$10.13 $10.13

36.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.70 $13.70

8.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.72 $1.72

47.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.54 $4.54

-22.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.91 $3.91

-18.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.97 $1.97

-29.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$43.67 $43.67

-42.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.99 $0.99

21.21%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.2K $27.2K

28.92%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.47%

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

$194 $194

$271 $271

-28.38%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$51.5 $51.5

34.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$81.6 $81.6

-24.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$29.80 $29.80

60.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$19.65 $19.65

39.13%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$13.86 $13.86

28.50%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,292 $1,292

38.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$23.7K $23.7K

34.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$64.4 $64.4

4.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$49.68 $49.68

4.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$98.6 $98.6

3.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$115 $115

25.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,242 $1,242

103.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,003 $1,003

57.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,933 $1,933

145.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,637 $1,637

64.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,514 $3,514

19.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,811 $1,811

52.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,822 $3,822

29.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.45

5.58%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Iowa City, IA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Iowa City, IA

$1K 44.6% 36.5% $575

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Iowa City, IA

$352 15.6% 21.4% $96

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Iowa City, IA

$273 12.1% 20.8% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Iowa City, IA

$404 18% 24.3% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Iowa City, IA

$147 6.6% 10.1% $17

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Iowa City, IA

$14 * 0.6% 85.3% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Iowa City, IA

$58 2.6% 31.1% $26

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 $1,242 in Iowa City, IA. 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 29% 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 $67 in Iowa City, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $352 – making Iowa City, IA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Iowa City, IA

🕒 Local time

14:59 2:59 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

74,828

💱 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 Iowa City, IA 320 km

From you

Chicago, IL
Iowa City, IA

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 Iowa City, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,251 in Iowa City, IA – Iowa City, IA comes out roughly 26% 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 $3,376 in Iowa City, IA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iowa City, IA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,242 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $67 in Iowa City, IA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Iowa City, IA, where all-in costs run around $2,251, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Iowa City, IA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Iowa City, IA – 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 Iowa City, IA. 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.