Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Kirksville, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Kirksville, MO: $2,644 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chicago, IL, United States
Kirksville, MO, United States
Chicago, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$3,072
/mo nomad
Kirksville, MO
🇺🇸 United States
$2,644
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,644 in Kirksville, MO, rent included.

  • Chicago, IL $3,072
  • Kirksville, MO $2,644

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,872 in Kirksville, MO, rent included.

  • Chicago, IL $4,545
  • Kirksville, MO $3,872

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,099 in Kirksville, MO, rent included.

  • Chicago, IL $6,019
  • Kirksville, MO $5,099

Chicago, IL costs about 16% more than Kirksville, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Kirksville, MO sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Kirksville, MO by 96%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chicago, IL
Kirksville, MO
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.39 $20.39
$18.26 $18.26
11.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.6 $88.6
$79.1 $79.1
12.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.85 $12.85
$7.77 $7.77
65.38%
Cappuccino
$5.78 $5.78
$5.03 $5.03
14.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 $2.74
$2.35 $2.35
16.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 $2.26
$1.55 $1.55
45.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.88 $6.88
$5.61 $5.61
22.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.24 $9.24
$7.15 $7.15
29.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chicago, IL
Kirksville, MO
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 $1.26
$1.17 $1.17
7.69%
White Bread (500g)
$3.55 $3.55
$2.81 $2.81
26.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.38 $5.38
$1.47 $1.47
265.99%
Eggs
$4.55 $4.55
$2.93 $2.93
55.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.65 $13.65
$13.64 $13.64
0.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.07 $14.07
$11.63 $11.63
20.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.06 $18.06
$13.12 $13.12
37.65%
Apples (1kg)
$5.16 $5.16
$6.43 $6.43
-19.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 $1.98
$1.78 $1.78
11.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.88 $3.88
$5.56 $5.56
-30.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.83 $4.83
$5.34 $5.34
-9.55%
Potato (1kg)
$2.81 $2.81
$2.79 $2.79
0.72%
Onion (1kg)
$2.67 $2.67
$4.99 $4.99
-46.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.07 $2.07
$2.91 $2.91
-28.87%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.03 $3.03
$2.91 $2.91
4.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.90 $13.90
$6.02 $6.02
130.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.05 $15.05
$15.25 $15.25
-1.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 $2.63
$2.80 $2.80
-6.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.45 $3.45
$3.34 $3.34
3.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Chicago, IL
Kirksville, MO
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.43 $2.43
$1.98 $1.98
22.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$75.3 $75.3
$68.7 $68.7
9.69%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.17 $3.17
$3.45 $3.45
-8.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.70 $1.70
$1.51 $1.51
12.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.90 $24.90
$39.59 $39.59
-37.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 $1.28
$1.00 $1.00
28.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K $35.8K
$28.5K $28.5K
25.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$26.3K $26.3K
1.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chicago, IL
Kirksville, MO
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$192 $192
$242 $242
-20.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$69.6 $69.6
$68.8 $68.8
1.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$62.2 $62.2
$76.0 $76.0
-18.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chicago, IL
Kirksville, MO
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.79 $47.79
$39.66 $39.66
20.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.10 $27.10
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.83 $17.83
$13.84 $13.84
28.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chicago, IL
Kirksville, MO
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,815 $1,815
$1,402 $1,402
29.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$40.6K $40.6K
$28.3K $28.3K
43.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chicago, IL
Kirksville, MO
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.2 $66.2
$59.3 $59.3
11.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.4 $51.4
$40.31 $40.31
27.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 $103
$89.9 $89.9
14.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$143 $143
$117 $117
22.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chicago, IL
Kirksville, MO
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,531 $2,531
$676 $676
274.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,621 $1,621
$1,274 $1,274
27.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,828 $4,828
$2,555 $2,555
88.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,734 $2,734
$2,120 $2,120
28.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,163 $4,163
$2,842 $2,842
46.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,723 $2,723
$2,676 $2,676
1.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chicago, IL
Kirksville, MO
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,924 $4,924
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.78
6.72
0.89%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Kirksville, MO: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chicago, IL
$1.6K
Kirksville, MO
$1.3K 21.4% $348
Groceries & Markets
Chicago, IL
$439
Kirksville, MO
$404 8.1% $36
Eating Out
Chicago, IL
$344
Kirksville, MO
$288 16.4% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chicago, IL
$324
Kirksville, MO
$386 19.3% $63
Clothing & Footwear
Chicago, IL
$164
Kirksville, MO
$138 15.8% $26
Getting Around
Chicago, IL
$97
Kirksville, MO
$88 9.4% $9.1
Sport & Entertainment
Chicago, IL
$83
Kirksville, MO
$67 19.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $676 in Kirksville, MO. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $79 in Kirksville, MO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $404 – making Kirksville, MO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Chicago, IL
🇺🇸 Kirksville, MO
🕒 Local time
20:46 8:46 PM
20:46 8:46 PM
Same time as Chicago, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,746,388
17,519
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chicago, IL Kirksville, MO 460 km
From you
  • Chicago, IL
  • Kirksville, 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 Kirksville, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Chicago, IL and in Kirksville, MO compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,644 in Kirksville, MO – Kirksville, MO comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Chicago, IL compared to Kirksville, MO?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,966 in Kirksville, MO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Chicago, IL and Kirksville, MO?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kirksville, MO, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $676 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 9% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $79 in Kirksville, MO. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is feasible on a $2,000 budget?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,644 in Kirksville, MO. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Where should families live: Chicago, IL or Kirksville, MO?
Families tend to lean toward Kirksville, MO – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Where should expats move: Chicago, IL or Kirksville, MO?
For expats, Kirksville, MO is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 14% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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