Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Northfield, MN: $2,250 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Northfield, MN
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Northfield, MN Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Northfield, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,250 in Northfield, MN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Northfield, MN $2,250

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,409 in Northfield, MN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Northfield, MN $3,409

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,568 in Northfield, MN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Northfield, MN $4,568

Chicago, IL costs about 40% more than Northfield, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Northfield, MN sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Northfield, MN by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$22.34 $22.34

-7.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$71.2 $71.2

26.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$12.40 $12.40

4.35%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.88 $4.88

14.75%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.57 $2.57

2.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.53 $1.53

48.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$4.63 $4.63

50.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.15 $6.15

43.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.04 $1.04

22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.34 $4.34

-12.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.60 $5.60

-5.36%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.45 $4.45

6.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$13.39 $13.39

4.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$9.85 $9.85

48.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.09 $11.09

69.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$6.68 $6.68

-22.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.67 $1.67

18.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.22 $2.22

77.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.24 $2.24

121.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.18 $2.18

26.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.16 $2.16

27.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.02 $3.02

-26.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.98 $1.98

50.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$11.11 $11.11

26.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$19.70 $19.70

-22.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.91 $2.91

-11.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.32 $3.32

5.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$10.12 $10.12

-67.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.09 $1.09

15.60%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$29.7K $29.7K

17.89%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$28.5K $28.5K

-8.41%

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

$193 $193

$200 $200

-3.60%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$99.4 $99.4

-31.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$71.0 $71.0

-13.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$88.2 $88.2

-38.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$13.75 $13.75

29.02%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$397 $397

316.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$70.0 $70.0

-5.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$60.7 $60.7

-15.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$111 $111

-9.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$99.0 $99.0

42.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,060 $1,060

130.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$887 $887

89.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$1,668 $1,668

182.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,620 $1,620

72.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,041 $2,041

101.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,014 $2,014

31.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Northfield, MN: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Northfield, MN

$887 39.4% 47.2% $791

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Northfield, MN

$388 17.2% 13.8% $62

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Northfield, MN

$326 14.5% 5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Northfield, MN

$370 16.5% 14.9% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Northfield, MN

$153 6.8% 4.9% $8

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Northfield, MN

$10 * 0.5% 89.4% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Northfield, MN

$116 5.1% 29.1% $26

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 $1,060 in Northfield, MN. 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $71.0 in Northfield, MN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $388 – making Northfield, MN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Northfield, MN

🕒 Local time

10:30 10:30 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

18,493

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Northfield, MN 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Northfield, 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 Northfield, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,250 in Northfield, MN – roughly 40% 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 $3,375 in Northfield, MN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Northfield, MN, 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $71.0 in Northfield, MN. 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.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Northfield, MN, where all-in costs run around $2,250, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Northfield, MN it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,250 in Northfield, MN to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Northfield, MN. 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.