Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Moscow, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Moscow, ID: $2,108 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 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
101

Cost of Living Index in Moscow, ID
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Moscow, ID Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Moscow, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,108

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Moscow, ID

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 Moscow, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,108 in Moscow, ID, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Moscow, ID $2,108

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,438 in Moscow, ID, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Moscow, ID $3,438

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,768 in Moscow, ID, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Moscow, ID $4,768

Chicago, IL costs about 44% more than Moscow, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Moscow, ID sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Moscow, ID by 55%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$8.88 $8.88

133.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$64.1 $64.1

39.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$6.33 $6.33

108.37%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$3.16 $3.16

79.11%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.31 $1.31

101.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.98 $1.98

15.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.40 $5.40

27.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$4.43 $4.43

99.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.01 $1.01

23.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.86 $2.86

30.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.01 $4.01

34.41%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.08 $4.08

16.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$19.34 $19.34

-28.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$17.59 $17.59

-18.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$20.20 $20.20

-9.01%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.94 $4.94

5.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.84 $0.84

135.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.10 $3.10

30.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.48 $5.48

-9.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.08 $2.08

28.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.10 $2.10

26.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.61 $1.61

39.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.98 $1.98

58.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.64 $8.64

59.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.61 $12.61

18.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.70 $1.70

49.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.72 $4.72

-25.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.01 $4.01

-20.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$4.08 $4.08

-65.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$49.89 $49.89

-49.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.99 $0.99

21.21%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$32.9K $32.9K

6.34%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$28.5K $28.5K

-6.36%

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

$194 $194

$271 $271

-28.31%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$38.78 $38.78

79.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$71.6 $71.6

-13.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$143 $143

-66.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.82 $14.82

20.18%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,572 $1,572

14.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$21.1K $21.1K

51.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$30.02 $30.02

123.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$39.40 $39.40

32.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$83.4 $83.4

21.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$60.3 $60.3

138.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,005 $1,005

151.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$826 $826

90.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,296 $2,296

106.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,074 $2,074

29.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,807 $2,807

49.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,864 $2,864

-3.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$2,953 $2,953

66.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.54

4.13%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Moscow, ID: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Moscow, ID

$826 39.2% 47.6% $752

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Moscow, ID

$431 20.4% 3.7% $16

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Moscow, ID

$177 8.4% 48.7% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Moscow, ID

$382 18.1% 17.2% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Moscow, ID

$96 4.6% 41.5% $68

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Moscow, ID

$24 * 1.2% 73.9% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Moscow, ID

$173 8.2% 107% $89

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,005 in Moscow, ID. 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 67% 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 $64 in Moscow, ID. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $431 – making Moscow, ID the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Moscow, ID

🕒 Local time

08:29 8:29 AM

06:29 6:29 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

22,352

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Moscow, ID 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Moscow, ID

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 Moscow, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,108 in Moscow, ID – Moscow, ID comes out roughly 31% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,163 in Moscow, ID. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Moscow, ID, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,005 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $64 in Moscow, ID. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Moscow, ID, where all-in costs run around $2,108, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Moscow, ID it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Moscow, ID – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Moscow, ID. 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.