Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Jacksonville, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Jacksonville, NC: $2,554 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Jacksonville, NC
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Jacksonville, NC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Jacksonville, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,554

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Jacksonville, 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 Jacksonville, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,554 in Jacksonville, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Jacksonville, NC $2,554

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,595 in Jacksonville, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Jacksonville, NC $3,595

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,637 in Jacksonville, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Jacksonville, NC $4,637

Chicago, IL costs about 19% more than Jacksonville, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Jacksonville, NC sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Jacksonville, NC by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$15.57 $15.57

33.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$58.9 $58.9

51.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.89 $9.89

33.37%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.81 $4.81

17.67%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.56 $2.56

3.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.97 $1.97

15.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.94 $4.94

39.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.06 $7.06

25.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.17 $1.17

6.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.21 $4.21

-11.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$11.08 $11.08

-51.35%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$6.04 $6.04

-21.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$19.50 $19.50

-29.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$17.09 $17.09

-15.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$24.53 $24.53

-25.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.87 $5.87

-11.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.86 $1.86

6.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$8.23 $8.23

-50.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.17 $6.17

-19.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$6.88 $6.88

-61.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$4.00 $4.00

-33.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.77 $2.77

-19.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.04 $2.04

53.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.96 $8.96

54.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.02 $15.02

-0.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.76 $1.76

44.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.96 $3.96

-11.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.53 $1.53

58.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$90.4 $90.4

-18.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.54 $2.54

25.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.91 $0.91

31.87%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.4K $27.4K

27.99%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.7K $25.7K

3.79%

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

$194 $194

$174 $174

11.75%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$76.0 $76.0

-8.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$71.2 $71.2

-13.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$31.20 $31.20

53.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$1.71 $1.71

1498.83%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.59 $15.59

14.24%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$796 $796

125.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$60.9 $60.9

10.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$39.56 $39.56

31.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$103 $103

-1.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$138 $138

3.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,384 $1,384

82.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,094 $1,094

44.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,809 $1,809

161.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,451 $1,451

85.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,049 $2,049

104.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,833 $1,833

51.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$2,208 $2,208

123.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.37

6.91%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Jacksonville, NC: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Jacksonville, NC

$1.1K 42.8% 30.7% $484

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Jacksonville, NC

$555 21.7% 24.1% $108

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Jacksonville, NC

$269 10.5% 22% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Jacksonville, NC

$321 12.6% 1.3% $4.3

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Jacksonville, NC

$154 6% 6.2% $10

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Jacksonville, NC

$99 * 3.9% 6.1% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Jacksonville, NC

$62 2.4% 25.3% $21

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 $1,384 in Jacksonville, NC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chicago, IL are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $59 in Jacksonville, NC. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $555 in Jacksonville, NC – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Jacksonville, NC

🕒 Local time

20:03 8:03 PM

21:03 9:03 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

949,611

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Jacksonville, NC 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Jacksonville, 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 Jacksonville, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,554 in Jacksonville, NC – Jacksonville, NC comes out roughly 16% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,831 in Jacksonville, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jacksonville, NC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,384 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $59 in Jacksonville, 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 Jacksonville, NC, where all-in costs run around $2,554, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Jacksonville, NC it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jacksonville, 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 Jacksonville, 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.