Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Minneapolis, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Minneapolis, MN: $2,685 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
130

Cost of Living Index in Minneapolis, MN
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Minneapolis, MN Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Minneapolis, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Minneapolis, MN

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 Minneapolis, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,685 in Minneapolis, MN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Minneapolis, MN $2,685

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,999 in Minneapolis, MN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Minneapolis, MN $3,999

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,313 in Minneapolis, MN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Minneapolis, MN $5,313

Chicago, IL costs about 13% more than Minneapolis, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Minneapolis, MN sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Minneapolis, MN by 97%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$21.82 $21.82

-5.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$82.7 $82.7

7.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.85 $11.85

11.31%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.47 $6.47

-12.52%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.20 $3.20

-17.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.27 $2.27

0.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.14 $7.14

-3.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.93 $7.93

11.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.91 $0.91

37.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.63 $3.63

2.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$6.70 $6.70

-19.55%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.64 $3.64

30.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$10.40 $10.40

33.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$13.68 $13.68

5.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.43 $19.43

-5.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.68 $5.68

-8.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.81 $1.81

9.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$6.59 $6.59

-38.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.24 $5.24

-5.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.45 $4.45

-40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$4.10 $4.10

-35.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.28 $2.28

-1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.66 $2.66

17.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$12.85 $12.85

7.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.86 $15.86

-6.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.89 $2.89

-12.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$5.70 $5.70

-38.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.96 $1.96

23.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$65.6 $65.6

12.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$5.15 $5.15

-38.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.70 $1.70

-18.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$23.58 $23.58

6.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.03 $1.03

16.50%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$30.5K $30.5K

14.79%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.04%

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

$194 $194

$178 $178

9.36%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$55.9 $55.9

24.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$70.9 $70.9

-13.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$56.4 $56.4

-15.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$27.57 $27.57

-0.83%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.74 $15.74

13.15%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,358 $1,358

32.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$36.2K $36.2K

-11.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$57.1 $57.1

17.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$44.49 $44.49

17.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$98.0 $98.0

3.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$105 $105

36.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,808 $1,808

39.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,251 $1,251

26.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,099 $3,099

52.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,085 $2,085

29.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,129 $3,129

33.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,129 $2,129

29.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,552 $4,552

8.31%

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 Minneapolis, MN: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Minneapolis, MN

$1.3K 46.6% 20.8% $327

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Minneapolis, MN

$457 17% 2.1% $9.2

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Minneapolis, MN

$361 13.5% 4.7% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Minneapolis, MN

$305 11.3% 6.5% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Minneapolis, MN

$137 5.1% 16.4% $27

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Minneapolis, MN

$87 3.2% 6.7% $6.3

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Minneapolis, MN

$88 3.3% 5.2% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,808 in Minneapolis, MN. 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 $89 in Chicago, IL versus $83 in Minneapolis, MN. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $457 in Minneapolis, MN – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Minneapolis, MN

🕒 Local time

22:27 10:27 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

429,954

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Minneapolis, MN 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Minneapolis, MN

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 Minneapolis, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,685 in Minneapolis, MN – Minneapolis, MN comes out roughly 12% 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 $4,027 in Minneapolis, MN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Minneapolis, MN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,808 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $83 in Minneapolis, MN. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Minneapolis, MN. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,685 in Minneapolis, MN. 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 $2,685 in Minneapolis, MN to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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