Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Raleigh, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Raleigh, NC: $2,643 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Raleigh, NC
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Raleigh, NC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Raleigh, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Raleigh, NC

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 Raleigh, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,643 in Raleigh, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Raleigh, NC $2,643

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,817 in Raleigh, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Raleigh, NC $3,817

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,991 in Raleigh, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Raleigh, NC $4,991

Chicago, IL costs about 15% more than Raleigh, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Raleigh, NC sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Raleigh, NC by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$21.90 $21.90

-5.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$88.4 $88.4

0.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.44 $11.44

15.30%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.60 $5.60

1.07%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.83 $2.83

-6.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.16 $2.16

5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.12 $6.12

12.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.94 $6.94

27.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.88 $0.88

42.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.79 $3.79

-1.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.17 $3.17

70.03%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.78 $4.78

-0.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$15.10 $15.10

-8.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$9.74 $9.74

47.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.81 $17.81

3.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.61 $6.61

-21.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.26 $1.26

57.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.45 $4.45

-8.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.75 $5.75

-13.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.91 $2.91

-8.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.61 $3.61

-26.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.16 $2.16

3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.21 $2.21

41.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.64 $8.64

59.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.11 $15.11

-1.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.24 $2.24

13.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.74 $2.74

28.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.22 $1.22

99.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$40.38 $40.38

82.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.92 $2.92

8.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.92 $1.92

-27.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$17.79 $17.79

40.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.01 $1.01

18.81%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$30.8K $30.8K

13.69%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.25%

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

$194 $194

$185 $185

4.88%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$56.7 $56.7

22.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$68.5 $68.5

-10.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$33.01 $33.01

45.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$5.90 $5.90

363.39%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.74 $14.74

20.83%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,317 $1,317

36.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$24.0K $24.0K

33.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$60.5 $60.5

10.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$55.7 $55.7

-6.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

-0.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$159 $159

-9.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,715 $1,715

47.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,290 $1,290

22.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,825 $2,825

67.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,915 $1,915

40.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$4,556 $4,556

-8.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,115 $2,115

30.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,605 $4,605

7.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.61

3.03%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Raleigh, NC: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Raleigh, NC

$1.3K 48.8% 18.2% $288

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Raleigh, NC

$411 15.6% 8.1% $36

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Raleigh, NC

$341 12.9% 1.1% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Raleigh, NC

$311 11.8% 4.6% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Raleigh, NC

$170 6.4% 3.4% $5.6

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Raleigh, NC

$58 2.2% 38.2% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Raleigh, NC

$62 2.4% 25.2% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,715 in Raleigh, NC. 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 7% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $88 in Raleigh, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $411 – making Raleigh, NC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Raleigh, NC

🕒 Local time

11:30 11:30 AM

12:30 12:30 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

431,746

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Raleigh, NC 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Raleigh, NC

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 Raleigh, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,643 in Raleigh, NC – Raleigh, NC comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,964 in Raleigh, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Raleigh, NC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,715 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Public transport costs about 45% less in Raleigh, NC. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,643 in Raleigh, NC. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Raleigh, NC – 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 Raleigh, NC. 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.