Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Kansas City, MO: $2,442 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 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
117

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

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Kansas City, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,442

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,442 in Kansas City, MO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Kansas City, MO $2,442

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,599 in Kansas City, MO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Kansas City, MO $3,599

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,756 in Kansas City, MO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Kansas City, MO $4,756

Chicago, IL costs about 24% more than Kansas City, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Kansas City, MO sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Kansas City, MO by 79%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$25.16 $25.16

-17.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$80.5 $80.5

10.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.48 $12.48

5.69%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.98 $5.98

-5.35%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.19 $3.19

-17.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.46 $2.46

-7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.96 $6.96

-1.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.61 $7.61

16.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.16 $1.16

7.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.37 $3.37

10.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.16 $5.16

4.46%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.21 $4.21

12.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$14.38 $14.38

-3.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$9.82 $9.82

46.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$13.71 $13.71

34.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.49 $4.49

16.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.62 $1.62

22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.43 $4.43

-8.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.52 $5.52

-9.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.21 $3.21

-16.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.31 $3.31

-19.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.28 $2.28

-1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.10 $2.10

49.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$7.93 $7.93

74.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.03 $15.03

-1.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.93 $1.93

31.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.95 $3.95

-11.14%

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

$2.48 $2.48

28.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.21 $1.21

14.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$59.7 $59.7

-58.08%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

1.95%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.92%

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

$194 $194

$199 $199

-2.08%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$66.6 $66.6

4.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$72.5 $72.5

-14.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$44.00 $44.00

8.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$32.05 $32.05

-14.70%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.17 $15.17

17.40%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,136 $1,136

57.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$21.0K $21.0K

51.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$61.7 $61.7

8.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$43.49 $43.49

19.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$103 $103

-1.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$147 $147

-2.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,250 $1,250

102.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,087 $1,087

45.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,468 $2,468

92.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,724 $1,724

56.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,584 $2,584

62.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,837 $1,837

50.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,939 $3,939

25.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.56

3.81%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kansas City, MO: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Kansas City, MO

$1.1K 44.5% 31.1% $491

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Kansas City, MO

$392 16.1% 12.4% $55

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Kansas City, MO

$383 15.7% 11.1% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Kansas City, MO

$338 13.8% 3.7% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Kansas City, MO

$160 6.6% 2.5% $4.1

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Kansas City, MO

$8.5 * 0.4% 90.9% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Kansas City, MO

$74 3% 11% $9.2

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 $1,250 in Kansas 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 25% 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 $81 in Kansas City, MO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $392 – making Kansas City, MO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Kansas City, MO

🕒 Local time

19:14 7:14 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

463,202

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Kansas City, MO 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Kansas 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 Kansas City, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,442 in Kansas City, MO – Kansas City, MO comes out roughly 20% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,664 in Kansas City, MO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kansas City, MO, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,250 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $81 in Kansas City, MO. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Kansas City, MO, where all-in costs run around $2,442, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Kansas 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 $2,442 in Kansas City, MO to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Kansas City, MO. 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.