Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Maui, HI

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $4,747 in Maui, HI, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 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
229

Cost of Living Index in Maui, HI
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Maui, HI Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Maui, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$4,747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Maui, HI

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 Maui, HI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,747 in Maui, HI, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Maui, HI $4,747

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,648 in Maui, HI, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Maui, HI $6,648

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $8,550 in Maui, HI, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Maui, HI $8,550

Chicago, IL is about 36% cheaper than Maui, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Maui, HI sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Maui, HI by 249%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$35.62 $35.62

-41.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$120 $120

-25.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$15.24 $15.24

-13.45%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.86 $6.86

-17.49%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.07 $3.07

-14.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.68 $2.68

-14.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$8.13 $8.13

-15.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.17 $9.17

-3.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$2.20 $2.20

-43.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$8.86 $8.86

-58.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$8.62 $8.62

-37.47%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$8.75 $8.75

-45.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$27.46 $27.46

-49.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$15.20 $15.20

-5.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$22.21 $22.21

-17.24%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$10.05 $10.05

-48.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.22 $2.22

-10.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$10.08 $10.08

-59.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$7.98 $7.98

-37.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$6.79 $6.79

-60.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$7.82 $7.82

-65.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$4.86 $4.86

-53.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.55 $3.55

-11.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$16.92 $16.92

-18.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$19.74 $19.74

-24.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.68 $1.68

51.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$7.81 $7.81

-55.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.77 $2.77

-12.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$100 $100

-26.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$9.92 $9.92

-67.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.95 $0.95

46.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.30 $1.30

-7.69%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$37.7K $37.7K

-6.94%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$33.2K $33.2K

-19.71%

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

$194 $194

$395 $395

-50.73%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$61.5 $61.5

12.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$73.3 $73.3

-15.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$29.55 $29.55

62.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.98 $14.98

18.89%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,674 $1,674

7.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$17.0K $17.0K

87.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$89.8 $89.8

-25.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$54.5 $54.5

-4.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$131 $131

-22.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$203 $203

-29.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,283 $2,283

10.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,611 $2,611

-39.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$4,532 $4,532

4.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$3,841 $3,841

-29.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$14.3K $14.3K

-70.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$9,220 $9,220

-69.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$5,712 $5,712

-13.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.52

4.45%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Maui, HI: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Maui, HI

$2.6K 55% 65.4% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Maui, HI

$711 15% 58.8% $263

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Maui, HI

$495 10.4% 43.5% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Maui, HI

$529 11.2% 62.6% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Maui, HI

$215 4.5% 31.4% $51

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Maui, HI

$126 2.7% 34.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Maui, HI

$60 1.3% 28.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,283 in Maui, HI. 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 16% higher in Maui, HI, 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 in Chicago, IL versus $120 in Maui, HI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $711 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Maui, HI

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

22:03 10:03 PM

4 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

6,452

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Maui, HI 6,740 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Maui, HI

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 Maui, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $4,747 in Maui, HI – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 36% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $7,120 in Maui, HI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maui, HI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,283 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 59% more in Maui, HI, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $120 in Maui, HI. 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 $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $4,747 in Maui, HI. 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 $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $4,747 in Maui, HI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chicago, IL. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Maui, HI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.