Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Salt Lake City, UT

For one person, living is cheaper in Salt Lake City, UT: $2,672 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Salt Lake City, UT
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Salt Lake City, UT Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Salt Lake City, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,672

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,672 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Salt Lake City, UT $2,672

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,866 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Salt Lake City, UT $3,866

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,061 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Salt Lake City, UT $5,061

Chicago, IL costs about 14% more than Salt Lake City, UT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Salt Lake City, UT sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Salt Lake City, UT by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$17.76 $17.76

16.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$74.7 $74.7

19.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.97 $9.97

32.30%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.17 $5.17

9.48%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.20 $2.20

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.65 $1.65

38.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.83 $5.83

17.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.86 $7.86

12.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.88 $0.88

42.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.97 $3.97

-6.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.02 $4.02

34.08%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.23 $4.23

12.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.84 $11.84

16.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$12.11 $12.11

18.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.15 $17.15

7.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.00 $4.00

30.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.38 $1.38

43.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.65 $3.65

11.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.07 $4.07

22.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.20 $2.20

21.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.41 $2.41

10.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.84 $1.84

21.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.94 $1.94

61.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$10.31 $10.31

34.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.84 $14.84

0.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.62 $2.62

-3.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.27 $3.27

7.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.48 $2.48

-2.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$85.1 $85.1

-13.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.47 $2.47

28.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.29 $2.29

-39.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$24.83 $24.83

0.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.16 $1.16

3.45%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$34.3K $34.3K

2.18%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.06%

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

$194 $194

$199 $199

-2.40%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$52.3 $52.3

32.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$82.2 $82.2

-25.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$33.66 $33.66

42.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$27.63 $27.63

-1.05%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.98 $14.98

18.89%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,323 $1,323

35.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$20.5K $20.5K

56.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$69.9 $69.9

-4.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$45.60 $45.60

14.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$111 $111

-8.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$108 $108

32.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,583 $1,583

59.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,337 $1,337

18.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,828 $2,828

67.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,120 $2,120

27.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$4,613 $4,613

-9.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$3,012 $3,012

-8.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,396 $4,396

12.17%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Salt Lake City, UT: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Salt Lake City, UT

$1.3K 50% 15.3% $241

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Salt Lake City, UT

$384 14.4% 14.2% $64

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Salt Lake City, UT

$294 11% 14.7% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Salt Lake City, UT

$334 12.5% 2.5% $8.2

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Salt Lake City, UT

$151 5.6% 8.2% $13

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Salt Lake City, UT

$109 4.1% 16.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Salt Lake City, UT

$64 2.4% 23.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,583 in Salt Lake City, 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 12% 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 $75 in Salt Lake City, UT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $384 – making Salt Lake City, UT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, UT

🕒 Local time

03:52 3:52 AM

02:52 2:52 AM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

200,133

💱 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 Salt Lake City, UT 2,020 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Salt Lake City, 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 Salt Lake City, UT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,672 in Salt Lake City, UT – Salt Lake City, UT comes out roughly 12% 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 $4,008 in Salt Lake City, UT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Salt Lake City, UT, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,583 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $75 in Salt Lake City, UT. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,672 in Salt Lake City, UT. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,672 in Salt Lake City, UT to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Salt Lake City, 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.