Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Johnson City, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Johnson City, TN: $2,138 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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
102

Cost of Living Index in Johnson City, TN
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Johnson City, TN Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Johnson City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Johnson City, TN

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 Johnson City, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,138 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Johnson City, TN $2,138

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,133 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Johnson City, TN $3,133

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,129 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Johnson City, TN $4,129

Chicago, IL costs about 42% more than Johnson City, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Johnson City, TN sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Johnson City, TN by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$13.78 $13.78

50.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$53.9 $53.9

65.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.88 $9.88

33.50%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.14 $5.14

10.12%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.88 $2.88

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.03 $2.03

12.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.93 $4.93

39.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.04 $6.04

46.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.98 $0.98

27.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.75 $3.75

-0.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.97 $3.97

35.77%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.11 $3.11

52.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$7.53 $7.53

83.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$13.67 $13.67

5.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$13.09 $13.09

40.41%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$7.59 $7.59

-31.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.73 $1.73

14.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.10 $4.10

-0.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.65 $3.65

36.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.40 $3.40

-21.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$4.34 $4.34

-38.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.20 $2.20

1.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.36 $2.36

32.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.01 $9.01

53.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.14 $13.14

13.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.61 $1.61

57.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.42 $4.42

-20.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.97 $0.97

150.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$25.13 $25.13

192.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$5.58 $5.58

-43.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.44 $1.44

-3.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$15.19 $15.19

64.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.83 $0.83

44.58%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$30.0K $30.0K

16.79%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$24.7K $24.7K

7.94%

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

$194 $194

$172 $172

12.92%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$51.9 $51.9

33.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$62.5 $62.5

-1.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$47.20 $47.20

1.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$20.14 $20.14

35.75%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$11.88 $11.88

49.92%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,185 $1,185

51.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$14.6K $14.6K

118.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$37.41 $37.41

79.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$30.80 $30.80

69.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$87.4 $87.4

16.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$94.4 $94.4

52.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,178 $1,178

114.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$980 $980

60.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,992 $1,992

137.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,616 $1,616

66.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,444 $2,444

71.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,033 $2,033

36.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,584 $3,584

37.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.49

4.93%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Johnson City, TN: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Johnson City, TN

$980 45.9% 37.9% $598

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Johnson City, TN

$388 18.1% 13.3% $59

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Johnson City, TN

$258 12.1% 25.2% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Johnson City, TN

$287 13.4% 12% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Johnson City, TN

$113 5.3% 31.4% $51

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Johnson City, TN

$42 2% 55.2% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Johnson City, TN

$71 3.3% 15% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,178 in Johnson City, TN. 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 38% 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 $54 in Johnson City, TN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $388 – making Johnson City, TN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Johnson City, TN

🕒 Local time

06:47 6:47 AM

07:47 7:47 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

66,027

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Johnson City, TN 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Johnson City, TN

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 Johnson City, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,138 in Johnson City, TN – Johnson City, TN comes out roughly 30% 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 $3,207 in Johnson City, TN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Johnson City, TN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,178 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $54 in Johnson City, TN. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Johnson City, TN, where all-in costs run around $2,138, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Johnson City, TN it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Johnson City, TN – 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 Johnson City, TN. 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.