Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Melbourne, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Melbourne, AR: $2,395 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne, AR
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Melbourne, AR Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Melbourne, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,395

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Melbourne, AR

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 Melbourne, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,395 in Melbourne, AR, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Melbourne, AR $2,395

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,533 in Melbourne, AR, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Melbourne, AR $3,533

A family of three spends $6,077 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,672 in Melbourne, AR, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Melbourne, AR $4,672

Chicago, IL costs about 33% more than Melbourne, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Melbourne, AR sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Melbourne, AR by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$6.80 $6.80

217.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$77.6 $77.6

14.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$9.33 $9.33

41.48%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$5.78 $5.78

-3.29%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$1.96 $1.96

34.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.68 $1.68

34.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$5.92 $5.92

20.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$6.96 $6.96

32.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.88 $0.88

45.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.80 $3.80

1.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$5.82 $5.82

-12.89%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$5.33 $5.33

-9.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$8.15 $8.15

73.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$8.37 $8.37

74.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$13.40 $13.40

40.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.48 $4.48

15.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.48 $1.48

35.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.83 $2.83

41.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$4.80 $4.80

3.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.92 $1.92

45.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.46 $2.46

7.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.46 $1.46

45.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.03 $2.03

52.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$8.86 $8.86

81.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$18.94 $18.94

-19.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.61 $2.61

0.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.51 $4.51

-23.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.09 $2.09

18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.96 $2.96

8.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.65 $1.65

-15.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$32.45 $32.45

-22.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.98 $0.98

26.53%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$36.6K $36.6K

1.47%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.5K $26.5K

-2.40%

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

$192 $192

$176 $176

9.03%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$55.8 $55.8

21.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$63.4 $63.4

-3.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$41.88 $41.88

27.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$9.91 $9.91

79.62%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,075 $1,075

44.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$21.1K $21.1K

48.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$59.3 $59.3

14.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$50.6 $50.6

0.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$114 $114

-10.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$113 $113

26.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$1,598 $1,598

49.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,291 $1,291

32.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$2,289 $2,289

104.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$2,205 $2,205

24.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$2,938 $2,938

41.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$2,284 $2,284

17.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Melbourne, AR: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Melbourne, AR

$1.3K 53.9% 24.6% $421

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Melbourne, AR

$365 15.3% 19% $86

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Melbourne, AR

$210 8.8% 40.6% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Melbourne, AR

$296 12.3% 7.9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Melbourne, AR

$152 6.3% 7.3% $12

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Melbourne, AR

$20 * 0.8% 79.4% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Melbourne, AR

$62 2.6% 30.8% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $1,598 in Melbourne, AR. 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 $89.0 in Chicago, IL versus $78.0 in Melbourne, AR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $365 – making Melbourne, AR the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Melbourne, AR

🕒 Local time

03:41 3:41 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

76,068

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Melbourne, AR 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Melbourne, AR

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 Melbourne, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL, $2,395 in Melbourne, AR – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,777 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,592 in Melbourne, AR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Chicago, IL and $78.0 in Melbourne, AR. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,185 in Chicago, IL and $2,395 in Melbourne, AR. 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 $2,395 in Melbourne, AR to $3,185 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 Melbourne, AR. 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.