Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Saint Charles, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Charles, MO: $2,182 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 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
106

Cost of Living Index in Saint Charles, MO
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Saint Charles, MO Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Saint Charles, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Saint Charles, MO

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 Saint Charles, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,182 in Saint Charles, MO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Saint Charles, MO $2,182

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,469 in Saint Charles, MO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Saint Charles, MO $3,469

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,756 in Saint Charles, MO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Saint Charles, MO $4,756

Chicago, IL costs about 39% more than Saint Charles, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Saint Charles, MO sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Saint Charles, MO by 60%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$14.78 $14.78

40.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$59.9 $59.9

48.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.08 $12.08

9.19%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.82 $4.82

17.43%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.69 $2.69

-1.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.84 $1.84

23.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.87 $4.87

41.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.15 $6.15

43.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.80 $0.80

56.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.51 $2.51

48.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$6.31 $6.31

-14.58%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.22 $3.22

47.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$9.48 $9.48

45.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$6.58 $6.58

118.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$23.76 $23.76

-22.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.72 $3.72

40.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.19 $2.19

-9.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$10.18 $10.18

-60.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.12 $5.12

-2.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.56 $3.56

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.91 $3.91

-31.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.01 $2.01

11.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.16 $2.16

44.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.50 $11.50

20.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.06 $12.06

23.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.83 $1.83

38.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.68 $2.68

30.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$5.09 $5.09

-52.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.08 $3.08

3.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.70 $1.70

-18.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$49.01 $49.01

-48.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.85 $0.85

41.18%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.3K $27.3K

28.42%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.55%

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

$194 $194

$326 $326

-40.35%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$61.1 $61.1

13.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$76.0 $76.0

-18.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$49.34 $49.34

-2.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$11.82 $11.82

50.68%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,006 $1,006

78.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$68.8 $68.8

-2.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$42.81 $42.81

21.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$80.0 $80.0

26.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$165 $165

-12.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,516 $1,516

66.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$793 $793

98.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,978 $1,978

139.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,912 $1,912

40.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,237 $4,237

16.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.58

3.50%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Saint Charles, MO: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Saint Charles, MO

$793 36.4% 49.7% $785

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Saint Charles, MO

$393 18% 12.1% $54

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Saint Charles, MO

$267 12.2% 22.6% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Saint Charles, MO

$463 21.2% 42.2% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Saint Charles, MO

$160 7.4% 2.3% $3.7

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Saint Charles, MO

$32 * 1.5% 65.8% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Saint Charles, MO

$73 3.4% 12.6% $11

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 $1,516 in Saint Charles, MO. 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 16% 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 $60 in Saint Charles, MO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $393 – making Saint Charles, MO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Saint Charles, MO

🕒 Local time

15:16 3:16 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

70,329

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Saint Charles, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,182 in Saint Charles, MO – Saint Charles, MO comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,272 in Saint Charles, MO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint Charles, MO, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,516 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $60 in Saint Charles, MO. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Saint Charles, MO, where all-in costs run around $2,182, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Saint Charles, MO it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Saint Charles, MO – 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 Saint Charles, MO. 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.