Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Jefferson City, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Jefferson City, MO: $1,853 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Jefferson City, MO
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Jefferson City, MO Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Jefferson City, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$1,853

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Jefferson City, MO

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 Jefferson City, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,853 in Jefferson City, MO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Jefferson City, MO $1,853

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,907 in Jefferson City, MO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Jefferson City, MO $2,907

A family of three spends $6,077 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,962 in Jefferson City, MO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Jefferson City, MO $3,962

Chicago, IL costs about 72% more than Jefferson City, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Jefferson City, MO sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Jefferson City, MO by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$15.07 $15.07

43.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$40.75 $40.75

117.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$9.97 $9.97

32.40%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$5.34 $5.34

4.68%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.04 $2.04

28.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.21 $2.21

2.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$5.41 $5.41

31.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$6.67 $6.67

38.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.86 $0.86

48.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.37 $3.37

13.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$4.43 $4.43

14.45%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$4.18 $4.18

15.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$4.52 $4.52

213.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$9.94 $9.94

46.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$13.34 $13.34

40.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.41 $4.41

17.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.57 $1.57

27.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$4.32 $4.32

-7.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$4.30 $4.30

15.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.06 $3.06

-8.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.31 $3.31

-19.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.40 $2.40

-11.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.94 $1.94

59.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$8.12 $8.12

97.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$12.34 $12.34

23.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.94 $1.94

35.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.86 $3.86

-10.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.05 $3.05

-19.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.56 $2.56

25.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.22 $1.22

13.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$61.1 $61.1

-59.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.85 $0.85

45.88%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$35.5K $35.5K

4.77%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$24.8K $24.8K

4.01%

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

$192 $192

$201 $201

-4.24%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$66.5 $66.5

2.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$70.4 $70.4

-13.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$15.16 $15.16

17.41%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,192 $1,192

30.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$21.3K $21.3K

47.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$50.1 $50.1

35.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$43.77 $43.77

15.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$104 $104

-2.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$126 $126

13.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$880 $880

170.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$705 $705

142.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$1,777 $1,777

163.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$1,597 $1,597

71.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$1,541 $1,541

169.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$1,732 $1,732

55.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$1,918 $1,918

155.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.56

3.20%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Jefferson City, MO: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Jefferson City, MO

$705 38.1% 58.8% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Jefferson City, MO

$341 18.4% 24.4% $110

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Jefferson City, MO

$272 14.7% 22.9% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Jefferson City, MO

$338 18.2% 5.2% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Jefferson City, MO

$146 7.9% 10.9% $18

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Jefferson City, MO

$21 * 1.1% 78.1% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Jefferson City, MO

$30 * 1.6% 66% $59

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $880 in Jefferson City, MO. 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 155% 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 $89.0 in Chicago, IL versus $41.00 in Jefferson City, MO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $341 – making Jefferson City, MO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Jefferson City, MO

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

43,079

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Jefferson City, MO 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Jefferson City, MO

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 Jefferson City, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL, $1,853 in Jefferson City, MO – roughly 72% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,777 per month in Chicago, IL and $2,779 in Jefferson City, MO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jefferson City, MO, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Chicago, IL and $41.00 in Jefferson City, MO. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Jefferson City, MO, where all-in costs run around $1,853, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In Jefferson City, MO 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 $1,853 in Jefferson City, MO to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Jefferson City, MO. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.