Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and North Little Rock, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in North Little Rock, AR: $2,560 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
125

Cost of Living Index in North Little Rock, AR
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North Little Rock, AR Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

North Little Rock, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in North Little Rock, 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 North Little Rock, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,560 in North Little Rock, AR, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,185
North Little Rock, AR $2,560

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,762 in North Little Rock, AR, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,631
North Little Rock, AR $3,762

A family of three spends $6,077 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,964 in North Little Rock, AR, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,077
North Little Rock, AR $4,964

Chicago, IL costs about 24% more than North Little Rock, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and North Little Rock, AR sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, North Little Rock, AR by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$19.13 $19.13

12.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$74.8 $74.8

18.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$11.17 $11.17

18.17%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$5.10 $5.10

9.61%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.59 $2.59

1.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.05 $2.05

10.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$6.15 $6.15

15.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$7.02 $7.02

31.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.01 $1.01

26.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.42 $3.42

12.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$4.41 $4.41

14.97%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$4.09 $4.09

18.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$12.50 $12.50

13.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$11.62 $11.62

25.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$15.58 $15.58

20.41%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.81 $4.81

7.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.59 $1.59

25.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$4.32 $4.32

-7.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$4.62 $4.62

7.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.91 $2.91

-4.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.81 $2.81

-5.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.11 $2.11

0.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.19 $2.19

41.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$9.69 $9.69

65.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$14.22 $14.22

6.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.80 $1.80

45.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.30 $3.30

4.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.05 $2.05

20.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.47 $3.47

-7.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.66 $1.66

-16.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$29.36 $29.36

-14.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.89 $0.89

39.33%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$29.1K $29.1K

27.87%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.6K $25.6K

1.06%

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

$192 $192

$188 $188

2.52%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$52.3 $52.3

29.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$68.0 $68.0

-10.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$43.86 $43.86

22.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$13.29 $13.29

33.94%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,315 $1,315

18.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$23.2K $23.2K

35.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$50.3 $50.3

34.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$40.56 $40.56

25.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$87.0 $87.0

16.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$113 $113

26.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$1,618 $1,618

47.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,332 $1,332

28.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$2,603 $2,603

79.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$2,238 $2,238

22.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$2,791 $2,791

48.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$2,474 $2,474

8.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.51

3.99%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for North Little Rock, AR: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

North Little Rock, AR

$1.3K 52% 22.2% $380

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

North Little Rock, AR

$388 15.2% 14.1% $63

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

North Little Rock, AR

$311 12.2% 11.9% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

North Little Rock, AR

$308 12% 4.1% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

North Little Rock, AR

$131 5.1% 19.8% $32

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

North Little Rock, AR

$20 * 0.8% 79% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

North Little Rock, AR

$70 2.8% 21% $19

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 $1,618 in North Little Rock, 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 $75.0 in North Little Rock, AR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $388 – making North Little Rock, AR the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 North Little Rock, AR

🕒 Local time

06:10 6:10 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

64,591

💱 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 North Little Rock, AR 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
North Little Rock, 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 North Little Rock, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL, $2,560 in North Little Rock, AR – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,777 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,840 in North Little Rock, AR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in North Little Rock, 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 $75.0 in North Little Rock, AR. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% 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.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,185 in Chicago, IL and $2,560 in North Little Rock, 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 $2,560 in North Little Rock, AR to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with North Little Rock, 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.