Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Mountain Home, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Mountain Home, ID: $2,430 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Mountain Home, ID
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Mountain Home, ID Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Mountain Home, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,430

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Mountain Home, 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 Mountain Home, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,430 in Mountain Home, ID, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Mountain Home, ID $2,430

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,678 in Mountain Home, ID, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Mountain Home, ID $3,678

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,927 in Mountain Home, ID, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Mountain Home, ID $4,927

Chicago, IL costs about 29% more than Mountain Home, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Mountain Home, ID sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Mountain Home, ID by 79%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$18.76 $18.76

10.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$71.5 $71.5

26.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$12.64 $12.64

2.37%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.55 $5.55

0.90%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.82 $2.82

-6.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.19 $2.19

3.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.97 $5.97

16.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.48 $6.48

36.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.08 $1.08

17.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.62 $3.62

4.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.26 $4.26

24.41%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.22 $4.22

12.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$12.80 $12.80

9.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$11.72 $11.72

24.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$16.77 $16.77

11.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.89 $4.89

6.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.65 $1.65

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.18 $4.18

-5.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.65 $4.65

6.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.86 $2.86

-3.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.00 $3.00

-8.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.19 $2.19

1.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.56 $2.56

16.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$10.22 $10.22

37.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.94 $14.94

2.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.99 $1.99

29.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.46 $3.46

1.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.26 $2.26

9.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.67 $2.67

25.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.73 $1.73

-17.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$26.44 $26.44

-8.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.19 $1.19

5.88%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.0K $27.0K

29.48%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.7K $25.7K

1.64%

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

$193 $193

$196 $196

-1.48%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$58.9 $58.9

15.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$70.1 $70.1

-12.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$46.47 $46.47

16.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$13.81 $13.81

28.46%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,333 $1,333

23.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$20.0K $20.0K

55.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$53.5 $53.5

23.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$45.22 $45.22

13.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$80.2 $80.2

24.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$120 $120

16.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,607 $1,607

52.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,155 $1,155

45.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,354 $2,354

100.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,133 $2,133

31.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,447 $2,447

67.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,373 $2,373

11.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.57

3.65%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mountain Home, ID: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Mountain Home, ID

$1.2K 47.5% 31.1% $523

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Mountain Home, ID

$403 16.6% 10.3% $46

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Mountain Home, ID

$317 13.1% 7.6% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Mountain Home, ID

$325 13.4% 0.7% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Mountain Home, ID

$135 5.5% 16.5% $27

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Mountain Home, ID

$20 * 0.8% 78.6% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Mountain Home, ID

$74 3.1% 17.3% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,607 in Mountain Home, ID. 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 $90 in Chicago, IL versus $72 in Mountain Home, ID. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $403 – making Mountain Home, ID the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Mountain Home, ID

🕒 Local time

15:20 3:20 PM

14:20 2:20 PM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

11,656

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Mountain Home, ID 2,290 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Mountain Home, 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 Mountain Home, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,430 in Mountain Home, ID – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,645 in Mountain Home, ID. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mountain Home, ID, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,607 there versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Chicago, IL and $72 in Mountain Home, ID. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% 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.

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