Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Richmond, KY

For one person, living is cheaper in Richmond, KY: $2,195 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Richmond, KY
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Richmond, KY Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Richmond, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,195

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Richmond, KY

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 Richmond, KY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,195 in Richmond, KY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Richmond, KY $2,195

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,209 in Richmond, KY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Richmond, KY $3,209

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,223 in Richmond, KY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Richmond, KY $4,223

Chicago, IL costs about 40% more than Richmond, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Richmond, KY sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Richmond, KY by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$10.13 $10.13

101.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$40.22 $40.22

120.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$8.17 $8.17

57.28%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.37 $5.37

7.64%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.84 $2.84

-3.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.55 $2.55

-11.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$6.68 $6.68

2.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$6.78 $6.78

36.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.06 $1.06

18.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.46 $3.46

2.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.57 $4.57

17.72%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$4.40 $4.40

3.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$10.16 $10.16

34.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$9.46 $9.46

48.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$14.99 $14.99

20.48%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$6.73 $6.73

-23.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.53 $1.53

29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$2.87 $2.87

35.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$5.54 $5.54

-12.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.26 $2.26

24.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.17 $4.17

-35.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.32 $2.32

-10.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.24 $2.24

35.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$9.42 $9.42

47.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.20 $15.20

-0.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.94 $1.94

35.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.05 $3.05

13.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.97 $0.97

150.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$6.57 $6.57

-51.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.53 $1.53

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$30.30 $30.30

-17.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.02 $1.02

25.49%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.7K $27.7K

29.12%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.5K $26.5K

1.10%

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

$192 $192

$233 $233

-17.43%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$73.6 $73.6

-5.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$55.9 $55.9

11.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$35.24 $35.24

35.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$14.00 $14.00

27.36%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,222 $1,222

48.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$20.3K $20.3K

100.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$50.1 $50.1

32.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$44.34 $44.34

15.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$112 $112

-7.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$124 $124

14.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,182 $1,182

114.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$980 $980

65.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,091 $2,091

130.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$1,747 $1,747

56.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$1,972 $1,972

111.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$1,986 $1,986

37.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$3,046 $3,046

61.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.61

2.57%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Richmond, KY: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Richmond, KY

$980 44.7% 39.5% $641

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Richmond, KY

$383 17.5% 12.7% $56

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Richmond, KY

$238 10.9% 30.7% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Richmond, KY

$362 16.5% 11.8% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Richmond, KY

$149 6.8% 9.1% $15

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Richmond, KY

$18 * 0.8% 81.3% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Richmond, KY

$63 2.9% 24.2% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,182 in Richmond, KY. 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 62% 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 $40 in Richmond, KY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $383 – making Richmond, KY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Richmond, KY

🕒 Local time

03:54 3:54 AM

04:54 4:54 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

226,610

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Richmond, KY 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Richmond, KY

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 Richmond, KY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,195 in Richmond, KY – Richmond, KY comes out roughly 29% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,292 in Richmond, KY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Richmond, KY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,182 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $40 in Richmond, KY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Richmond, KY, where all-in costs run around $2,195, than in Chicago, IL at $3,072. In Richmond, KY it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Richmond, KY – 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 Richmond, KY. 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.