Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Saint George, UT

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint George, UT: $2,435 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Saint George, UT
Learn more

Saint George, UT Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Saint George, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,435

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Saint George, 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 Saint George, UT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,435 in Saint George, UT, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Saint George, UT $2,435

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,277 in Saint George, UT, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Saint George, UT $3,277

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,120 in Saint George, UT, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Saint George, UT $4,120

Chicago, IL costs about 25% more than Saint George, UT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Saint George, UT sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Saint George, UT by 79%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$13.31 $13.31

55.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$69.2 $69.2

29.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.83 $9.83

34.18%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.69 $4.69

20.68%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.73 $2.73

-3.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.35 $2.35

-2.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.33 $7.33

-6.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.22 $8.22

7.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.92 $0.92

35.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.98 $2.98

24.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.58 $4.58

17.69%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.46 $4.46

6.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$13.15 $13.15

5.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$8.93 $8.93

61.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$11.67 $11.67

57.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.43 $4.43

17.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.44 $1.44

37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.72 $3.72

9.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.30 $3.30

50.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.88 $1.88

42.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.32 $2.32

14.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.92 $1.92

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.18 $2.18

43.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.81 $9.81

40.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$11.03 $11.03

34.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.74 $1.74

45.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.89 $2.89

21.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.68 $3.68

-13.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.71 $2.71

-48.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$34.36 $34.36

-27.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.08 $1.08

11.11%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$37.7K $37.7K

-6.95%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$27.7K $27.7K

-3.83%

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

$194 $194

$131 $131

48.53%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$76.0 $76.0

-8.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$71.3 $71.3

-13.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$29.51 $29.51

62.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$13.13 $13.13

35.64%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$597 $597

200.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$25.4K $25.4K

25.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$45.51 $45.51

47.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$36.18 $36.18

44.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$82.9 $82.9

22.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$95.2 $95.2

51.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,548 $1,548

63.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,365 $1,365

15.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,083 $2,083

127.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,721 $1,721

56.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,106 $3,106

34.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$3,157 $3,157

-12.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,065 $4,065

21.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.54

4.13%

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 George, UT: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Saint George, UT

$1.4K 56% 13.5% $213

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Saint George, UT

$337 13.8% 24.7% $110

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Saint George, UT

$266 10.9% 23% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Saint George, UT

$278 11.4% 14.6% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Saint George, UT

$117 4.8% 28.7% $47

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Saint George, UT

$17 * 0.7% 81.5% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Saint George, UT

$56 2.3% 33.2% $28

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 $1,548 in Saint George, UT. 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 21% 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 $69 in Saint George, UT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $337 – making Saint George, UT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Saint George, UT

🕒 Local time

05:40 5:40 AM

04:40 4:40 AM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

95,342

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Saint George, UT 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Saint George, 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 Saint George, UT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,435 in Saint George, UT – Saint George, UT comes out roughly 20% 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 $3,653 in Saint George, UT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint George, UT, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,548 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $69 in Saint George, UT. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% 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 $2,435 in Saint George, UT. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Saint George, UT – 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 George, UT. 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.