Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Longmont, CO

For one person, living costs are similar in Chicago, IL and in Longmont, CO: $3,139 and $3,075 a month, rent and utilities included.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Longmont, CO
Learn more

Longmont, CO Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Longmont, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,075

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Longmont, CO

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 Longmont, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,075 in Longmont, CO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Longmont, CO $3,075

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,586 in Longmont, CO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Longmont, CO $4,586

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,096 in Longmont, CO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Longmont, CO $6,096

Chicago, IL costs about 2% more than Longmont, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Longmont, CO sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Longmont, CO by 127%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$20.29 $20.29

1.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$79.8 $79.8

13.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$10.41 $10.41

24.30%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.66 $5.66

-1.06%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.11 $3.11

-15.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.42 $2.42

-6.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.97 $6.97

0.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.76 $7.76

13.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.06 $1.06

19.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$5.09 $5.09

-25.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.17 $4.17

27.10%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$6.15 $6.15

-22.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$14.03 $14.03

-0.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$13.43 $13.43

8.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$19.58 $19.58

-4.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.47 $5.47

-5.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.44 $1.44

37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.49 $4.49

-12.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.86 $4.86

2.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.53 $2.53

9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.43 $3.43

-19.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.39 $2.39

-7.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.28 $2.28

30.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$10.29 $10.29

36.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$17.25 $17.25

-11.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.33 $2.33

10.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.45 $2.45

42.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.54 $1.54

60.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

$83.3 $83.3

-10.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.44 $2.44

36.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.42 $1.42

0.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$23.91 $23.91

1.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.02 $1.02

23.53%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.7K $27.7K

26.28%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.26%

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

$193 $193

$212 $212

-9.19%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$80.5 $80.5

-15.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$74.9 $74.9

-18.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$38.27 $38.27

41.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

$65.3 $65.3

-57.24%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$16.00 $16.00

10.87%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,592 $1,592

3.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$25.0K $25.0K

24.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$61.5 $61.5

7.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$48.35 $48.35

5.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$84.4 $84.4

18.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$101 $101

39.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,726 $1,726

41.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,620 $1,620

3.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$3,022 $3,022

56.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,834 $2,834

-1.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$3,775 $3,775

-29.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$4,496 $4,496

8.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.61

3.03%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Longmont, CO: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Longmont, CO

$1.6K 52.7% 3.4% $58

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Longmont, CO

$451 14.7% 0.5% $2.1

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Longmont, CO

$334 10.9% 2.8% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Longmont, CO

$368 12% 14.1% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Longmont, CO

$133 4.3% 17.6% $28

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Longmont, CO

$99 3.2% 4.1% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Longmont, CO

$70 2.3% 21.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,726 in Longmont, CO. 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 8% 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $80.0 in Longmont, CO. Groceries tell a different story – $449 in Chicago, IL vs $451 in Longmont, CO – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Longmont, CO

🕒 Local time

22:40 10:40 PM

21:40 9:40 PM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

94,341

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Longmont, CO 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Longmont, CO

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 Longmont, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $3,075 in Longmont, CO – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,613 in Longmont, CO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $80.0 in Longmont, CO. 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 $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $3,075 in Longmont, CO. 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 $3,075 in Longmont, CO to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Longmont, CO. 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.