Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Roy, UT

For one person, living is cheaper in Roy, UT: $2,272 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 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
111

Cost of Living Index in Roy, UT
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Roy, UT Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Roy, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,272

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Roy, UT

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 Roy, UT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,272 in Roy, UT, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Roy, UT $2,272

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,291 in Roy, UT, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Roy, UT $3,291

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,311 in Roy, UT, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Roy, UT $4,311

Chicago, IL costs about 38% more than Roy, UT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Roy, UT sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Roy, UT by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$18.07 $18.07

14.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$73.8 $73.8

22.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$9.94 $9.94

30.18%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.16 $5.16

8.53%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.20 $2.20

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.67 $1.67

35.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.84 $5.84

19.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$8.11 $8.11

8.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.62 $0.62

104.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.66 $2.66

42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.01 $4.01

32.17%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.47 $3.47

37.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$11.82 $11.82

18.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$12.02 $12.02

21.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$10.81 $10.81

73.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.17 $4.17

24.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.44 $1.44

37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.76 $3.76

4.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.07 $4.07

21.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.32 $2.32

18.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.43 $2.43

13.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.91 $1.91

16.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.92 $1.92

55.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$10.15 $10.15

38.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$15.03 $15.03

1.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.64 $2.64

-2.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.26 $3.26

7.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.05 $2.05

20.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

$44.14 $44.14

69.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.57 $2.57

29.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.24 $2.24

-36.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$13.02 $13.02

86.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.03 $1.03

22.33%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$34.3K $34.3K

2.20%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.3K $26.3K

-0.68%

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

$193 $193

$192 $192

0.53%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$49.23 $49.23

38.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$80.2 $80.2

-23.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$42.01 $42.01

28.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

$15.01 $15.01

86.01%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$10.85 $10.85

63.50%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,329 $1,329

24.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$21.0K $21.0K

48.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$39.54 $39.54

67.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$24.97 $24.97

105.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$89.4 $89.4

12.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$107 $107

32.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,285 $1,285

90.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,059 $1,059

58.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$1,733 $1,733

172.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,648 $1,648

69.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,753 $2,753

49.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,391 $2,391

10.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.46

5.42%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Roy, UT: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Roy, UT

$1.1K 46.6% 36.9% $619

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Roy, UT

$348 15.3% 22.6% $102

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Roy, UT

$297 13.1% 13.5% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Roy, UT

$321 14.1% 0.3% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Roy, UT

$117 5.2% 27.3% $44

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Roy, UT

$66 2.9% 30.5% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Roy, UT

$64 2.8% 28.9% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,285 in Roy, UT. 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 $74.0 in Roy, UT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $348 – making Roy, UT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Roy, UT

🕒 Local time

08:19 8:19 AM

07:19 7:19 AM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

39,306

💱 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 Roy, UT 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Roy, UT

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 Roy, UT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,272 in Roy, UT – roughly 38% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,408 in Roy, UT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Roy, UT, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $74.0 in Roy, UT. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Roy, UT, where all-in costs run around $2,272, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Roy, UT 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 $2,272 in Roy, UT 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 Roy, UT. 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.