Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Roanoke, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Roanoke, VA: $2,127 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 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
103

Cost of Living Index in Roanoke, VA
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Roanoke, VA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Roanoke, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,127

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Roanoke, VA

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 Roanoke, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,127 in Roanoke, VA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Roanoke, VA $2,127

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,041 in Roanoke, VA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Roanoke, VA $3,041

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,955 in Roanoke, VA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Roanoke, VA $3,955

Chicago, IL costs about 43% more than Roanoke, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Roanoke, VA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Roanoke, VA by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$17.21 $17.21

20.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$55.1 $55.1

62.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.46 $11.46

15.10%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.29 $5.29

6.99%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.32 $2.32

13.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.38 $2.38

-4.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.43 $4.43

55.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.98 $6.98

26.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.91 $0.91

37.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.94 $2.94

26.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.46 $4.46

20.85%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.37 $3.37

40.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$13.92 $13.92

-0.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$10.30 $10.30

39.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$16.79 $16.79

9.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.48 $5.48

-4.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.21 $1.21

63.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.83 $3.83

6.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.51 $4.51

10.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.31 $2.31

15.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.08 $3.08

-13.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.10 $2.10

6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.12 $2.12

47.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.09 $9.09

52.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$11.90 $11.90

25.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.68 $1.68

51.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.44 $1.44

143.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.80 $1.80

35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$56.9 $56.9

29.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.60 $0.60

131.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.87 $0.87

37.93%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$35.9K $35.9K

-2.36%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.41%

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

$194 $194

$122 $122

59.90%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$55.2 $55.2

25.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$64.1 $64.1

-3.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$37.30 $37.30

28.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$23.28 $23.28

17.44%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.30 $12.30

44.80%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$559 $559

220.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$44.98 $44.98

49.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$34.85 $34.85

49.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$93.0 $93.0

9.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$133 $133

8.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,165 $1,165

116.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$961 $961

64.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,892 $1,892

150.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,359 $1,359

98.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,163 $2,163

93.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,844 $1,844

50.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,298 $3,298

49.49%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Roanoke, VA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Roanoke, VA

$961 45.2% 39.1% $617

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Roanoke, VA

$368 17.3% 17.7% $79

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Roanoke, VA

$291 13.7% 15.8% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Roanoke, VA

$241 11.3% 26% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Roanoke, VA

$138 6.5% 16.1% $26

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Roanoke, VA

$67 * 3.2% 28.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Roanoke, VA

$62 2.9% 25.9% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,165 in Roanoke, VA. 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 49% 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 $55 in Roanoke, VA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $368 – making Roanoke, VA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Roanoke, VA

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

17:50 5:50 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

99,837

💱 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 Roanoke, VA 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Roanoke, VA

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 Roanoke, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,127 in Roanoke, VA – Roanoke, VA comes out roughly 30% 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 $3,190 in Roanoke, VA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Roanoke, VA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,165 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $55 in Roanoke, VA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Roanoke, VA, where all-in costs run around $2,127, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Roanoke, VA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Roanoke, VA – 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 Roanoke, VA. 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.