Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Saint Paul, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Paul, MN: $2,445 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Saint Paul, MN
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Saint Paul, MN Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Saint Paul, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,445

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Saint Paul, MN

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 Paul, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,445 in Saint Paul, MN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Saint Paul, MN $2,445

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,672 in Saint Paul, MN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Saint Paul, MN $3,672

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,900 in Saint Paul, MN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Saint Paul, MN $4,900

Chicago, IL costs about 24% more than Saint Paul, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Saint Paul, MN sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Saint Paul, MN by 80%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$15.66 $15.66

32.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$67.8 $67.8

31.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.07 $10.07

30.98%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.03 $5.03

12.52%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.09 $3.09

-14.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.59 $2.59

-11.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.04 $6.04

13.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.37 $7.37

19.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.98 $0.98

27.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.80 $3.80

-2.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.33 $3.33

61.86%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$2.96 $2.96

60.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$9.39 $9.39

47.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$9.66 $9.66

49.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$13.17 $13.17

39.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.84 $4.84

7.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.11 $1.11

78.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.88 $5.88

-30.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.92 $4.92

1.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.81 $3.81

-29.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.48 $3.48

-23.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.05 $2.05

9.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.75 $1.75

78.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$12.68 $12.68

8.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.65 $14.65

1.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.69 $1.69

50.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.41 $3.41

2.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.96 $1.96

23.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$104 $104

-29.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.54 $2.54

25.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.52 $1.52

-8.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$31.02 $31.02

-19.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.03 $1.03

16.50%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

29.33%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.35%

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

$194 $194

$232 $232

-16.30%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$50.6 $50.6

37.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$64.7 $64.7

-4.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$29.74 $29.74

61.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$8.50 $8.50

221.65%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$13.07 $13.07

36.27%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,481 $1,481

21.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$28.1K $28.1K

13.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$41.01 $41.01

63.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$40.23 $40.23

29.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$82.1 $82.1

23.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$110 $110

30.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,444 $1,444

74.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,153 $1,153

36.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,660 $2,660

78.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,132 $2,132

26.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,631 $2,631

59.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,949 $1,949

42.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,256 $4,256

15.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.31

7.92%

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 Paul, MN: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Saint Paul, MN

$1.2K 47.2% 26.9% $425

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Saint Paul, MN

$360 14.7% 19.5% $87

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Saint Paul, MN

$283 11.6% 17.8% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Saint Paul, MN

$348 14.2% 6.8% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Saint Paul, MN

$123 5% 24.9% $41

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Saint Paul, MN

$122 5% 30.4% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Saint Paul, MN

$56 2.3% 33.1% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,444 in Saint Paul, MN. 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 $68 in Saint Paul, MN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $360 – making Saint Paul, MN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Saint Paul, MN

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

285,068

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Saint Paul, MN 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Saint Paul, MN

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 Paul, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,445 in Saint Paul, MN – Saint Paul, MN comes out roughly 19% 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 $3,667 in Saint Paul, MN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint Paul, MN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,444 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $68 in Saint Paul, MN. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,445 in Saint Paul, MN to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Saint Paul, MN. 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.