Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Las Vegas, NV

For one person, living is cheaper in Las Vegas, NV: $2,869 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
140

Cost of Living Index in Las Vegas, NV
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Las Vegas, NV Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Las Vegas, NV

🇺🇸 United States

$2,869

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Las Vegas, NV

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 Las Vegas, NV actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,869 in Las Vegas, NV, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Las Vegas, NV $2,869

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,188 in Las Vegas, NV, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Las Vegas, NV $4,188

A family of three spends $6,077 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,507 in Las Vegas, NV, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Las Vegas, NV $5,507

Chicago, IL costs about 11% more than Las Vegas, NV, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Las Vegas, NV sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Las Vegas, NV by 112%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$24.91 $24.91

-13.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$98.5 $98.5

-9.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$13.66 $13.66

-3.37%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$6.14 $6.14

-8.96%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$4.56 $4.56

-42.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$3.03 $3.03

-25.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$7.67 $7.67

-7.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$9.61 $9.61

-3.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.93 $0.93

37.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.35 $3.35

14.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$4.40 $4.40

15.23%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$4.54 $4.54

6.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$13.50 $13.50

4.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$11.51 $11.51

26.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$18.78 $18.78

-0.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.34 $4.34

19.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.59 $1.59

25.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.64 $3.64

9.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$3.88 $3.88

28.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.37 $2.37

17.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.24 $2.24

18.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.91 $1.91

11.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.50 $2.50

23.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$9.84 $9.84

63.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$11.15 $11.15

36.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.50 $2.50

4.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.98 $2.98

16.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.56 $2.56

-3.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

$65.2 $65.2

15.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.66 $3.66

-12.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.60 $2.60

-46.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$34.42 $34.42

-27.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.22 $1.22

1.64%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$37.4K $37.4K

-0.58%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

-4.77%

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

$192 $192

$203 $203

-5.38%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$78.0 $78.0

-13.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$79.7 $79.7

-23.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$29.84 $29.84

79.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

$14.09 $14.09

98.01%

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$14.81 $14.81

20.19%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,212 $1,212

28.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$25.0K $25.0K

25.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$46.56 $46.56

45.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$36.61 $36.61

38.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$83.7 $83.7

21.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$94.2 $94.2

52.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$1,639 $1,639

45.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,449 $1,449

18.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$2,461 $2,461

89.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$2,292 $2,292

19.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$5,189 $5,189

-19.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$2,831 $2,831

-4.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$3,783 $3,783

29.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.6

2.58%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Las Vegas, NV: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Las Vegas, NV

$1.4K 50.5% 15.4% $263

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Las Vegas, NV

$388 13.5% 14% $63

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Las Vegas, NV

$402 14% 13.9% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Las Vegas, NV

$361 12.6% 12.4% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Las Vegas, NV

$118 4.1% 28.1% $46

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Las Vegas, NV

$92 3.2% 3.2% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Las Vegas, NV

$59 2.1% 33.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $1,639 in Las Vegas, NV. 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 29% 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 $98.0 in Las Vegas, NV. Groceries tell a different story – $451 in Chicago, IL vs $388 in Las Vegas, NV – so Las Vegas, NV wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Las Vegas, NV

🕒 Local time

23:20 11:20 PM

21:20 9:20 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

641,903

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Las Vegas, NV 2,460 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Las Vegas, NV

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 Las Vegas, NV: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL, $2,869 in Las Vegas, NV – roughly 11% 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 $4,303 in Las Vegas, NV. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 16% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Chicago, IL and $98.0 in Las Vegas, NV. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,185 in Chicago, IL and $2,869 in Las Vegas, NV. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,869 in Las Vegas, NV to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Las Vegas, NV. 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.