Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Missoula, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Missoula, MT: $2,609 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Missoula, MT
Learn more

Missoula, MT Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Missoula, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Missoula, MT

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 Missoula, MT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,609 in Missoula, MT, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Missoula, MT $2,609

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,087 in Missoula, MT, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Missoula, MT $4,087

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,565 in Missoula, MT, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Missoula, MT $5,565

Chicago, IL costs about 18% more than Missoula, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Missoula, MT sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Missoula, MT by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$16.73 $16.73

21.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$75.3 $75.3

17.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$9.27 $9.27

38.62%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$4.37 $4.37

32.27%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$3.10 $3.10

-11.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.34 $2.34

-3.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$5.86 $5.86

17.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$5.93 $5.93

55.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.12 $1.12

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.44 $3.44

3.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.98 $4.98

8.03%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$4.27 $4.27

6.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$24.81 $24.81

-44.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$9.67 $9.67

45.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$18.98 $18.98

-4.85%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.81 $4.81

7.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.46 $1.46

35.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$6.51 $6.51

-40.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$3.73 $3.73

29.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.33 $2.33

20.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.96 $2.96

-9.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.41 $2.41

-14.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.90 $3.90

-22.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$10.50 $10.50

32.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$24.82 $24.82

-39.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.98 $1.98

32.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$4.38 $4.38

-21.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$5.13 $5.13

-38.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$4.99 $4.99

-65.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$39.29 $39.29

-36.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.09 $1.09

17.43%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$32.3K $32.3K

10.76%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.5K $24.5K

9.22%

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

$192 $192

$139 $139

38.34%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$52.7 $52.7

32.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$69.2 $69.2

-10.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$49.22 $49.22

-2.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

$22.25 $22.25

21.80%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$13.75 $13.75

29.67%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$2,009 $2,009

-9.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$17.7K $17.7K

128.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$66.4 $66.4

-0.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$44.46 $44.46

15.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$104 $104

-1.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$149 $149

-4.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,522 $1,522

66.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,324 $1,324

22.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,992 $2,992

61.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,649 $2,649

3.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$4,211 $4,211

-1.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$3,475 $3,475

-21.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$3,666 $3,666

34.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.84

-0.88%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Missoula, MT: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Missoula, MT

$1.3K 50.7% 18.4% $298

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Missoula, MT

$477 18.3% 8.7% $38

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Missoula, MT

$277 10.6% 19.5% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Missoula, MT

$261 10% 19.5% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Missoula, MT

$164 6.3% 0.2% $0.4

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Missoula, MT

$30 * 1.2% 68.9% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Missoula, MT

$77 2.9% 8.1% $6.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,522 in Missoula, MT. 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 34% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $75 in Missoula, MT. Groceries tell a different story – $439 in Chicago, IL vs $477 in Missoula, MT – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Missoula, MT

🕒 Local time

09:54 9:54 AM

08:54 8:54 AM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

73,489

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Missoula, MT 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Missoula, MT

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 Missoula, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,609 in Missoula, MT – Missoula, MT comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,914 in Missoula, MT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Missoula, MT, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,522 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $75 in Missoula, MT. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,609 in Missoula, MT. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Missoula, MT costs $2,609 versus $3,072 in Chicago, IL. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Missoula, MT. 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.