Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Longmeadow, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Longmeadow, MA: $2,951 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
135

Cost of Living Index in Longmeadow, MA
Learn more

Longmeadow, MA Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Longmeadow, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Longmeadow, MA

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 Longmeadow, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,951 in Longmeadow, MA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Longmeadow, MA $2,951

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,281 in Longmeadow, MA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Longmeadow, MA $4,281

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,611 in Longmeadow, MA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Longmeadow, MA $5,611

Chicago, IL costs about 3% more than Longmeadow, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Longmeadow, MA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Longmeadow, MA by 117%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$27.27 $27.27

-24.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$100 $100

-10.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$15.10 $15.10

-12.65%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.52 $6.52

-13.19%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.73 $2.73

-3.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.98 $1.98

15.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.14 $6.14

11.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$10.39 $10.39

-14.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.07 $1.07

16.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.22 $3.22

15.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.56 $5.56

-3.06%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.11 $5.11

-7.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$16.29 $16.29

-15.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$15.72 $15.72

-8.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.91 $17.91

2.62%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.92 $4.92

6.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.42 $1.42

39.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.39 $5.39

-24.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.83 $4.83

2.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.26 $3.26

-18.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.64 $3.64

-26.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.03 $2.03

10.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.00 $2.00

56.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$14.88 $14.88

-7.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.09 $14.09

5.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.06 $2.06

23.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.98 $3.98

-11.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.78 $1.78

36.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$66.5 $66.5

10.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$5.12 $5.12

-37.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.42 $1.42

-2.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$29.76 $29.76

-15.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.06 $1.06

13.21%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.2K $27.2K

29.00%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.49%

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

$194 $194

$214 $214

-9.29%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$71.1 $71.1

-2.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$90.7 $90.7

-32.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$41.44 $41.44

15.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.85 $14.85

19.93%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,467 $1,467

22.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$17.3K $17.3K

84.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$54.1 $54.1

23.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$40.31 $40.31

29.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$113 $113

-10.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$110 $110

31.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,401 $1,401

80.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,422 $1,422

10.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,346 $2,346

102.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,168 $2,168

24.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,788 $2,788

50.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,499 $2,499

10.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.66

2.25%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Longmeadow, MA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Longmeadow, MA

$1.4K 48.2% 9.9% $156

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Longmeadow, MA

$441 15% 1.4% $6.2

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Longmeadow, MA

$412 14% 19.5% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Longmeadow, MA

$376 12.7% 15.5% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Longmeadow, MA

$143 4.8% 13% $21

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Longmeadow, MA

$86 2.9% 8.1% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Longmeadow, MA

$71 2.4% 14.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,401 in Longmeadow, MA. 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 $100 in Longmeadow, MA. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $441 in Longmeadow, MA – so Longmeadow, MA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Longmeadow, MA

🕒 Local time

16:20 4:20 PM

17:20 5:20 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

15,784

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Longmeadow, MA 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Longmeadow, MA

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 Longmeadow, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,951 in Longmeadow, MA – Longmeadow, MA comes out roughly 3% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,427 in Longmeadow, MA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Longmeadow, MA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,401 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $100 in Longmeadow, MA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Longmeadow, MA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,951 in Longmeadow, MA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Longmeadow, MA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.