Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Schaumburg, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Chicago, IL and in Schaumburg, IL: $3,139 and $3,270 a month, rent and utilities included.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Schaumburg, IL
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Schaumburg, IL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Schaumburg, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Schaumburg, IL

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 Schaumburg, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,270 in Schaumburg, IL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Schaumburg, IL $3,270

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,555 in Schaumburg, IL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Schaumburg, IL $4,555

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,840 in Schaumburg, IL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Schaumburg, IL $5,840

Chicago, IL is about 4% cheaper than Schaumburg, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Chicago, IL and Schaumburg, IL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Schaumburg, IL by 141%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$15.02 $15.02

37.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$101 $101

-10.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$13.24 $13.24

-2.27%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.80 $4.80

16.67%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.56 $2.56

3.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.22 $2.22

2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$4.53 $4.53

54.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.13 $6.13

44.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.86 $0.86

47.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.16 $4.16

-8.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$7.50 $7.50

-29.33%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.04 $4.04

17.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$14.89 $14.89

-6.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$13.54 $13.54

7.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$17.42 $17.42

7.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.36 $5.36

-3.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.06 $3.06

-35.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.83 $4.83

-18.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.08 $4.08

21.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.34 $3.34

-17.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.26 $3.26

-15.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.97 $1.97

12.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.40 $3.40

-12.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$17.77 $17.77

-21.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$19.19 $19.19

-20.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$5.59 $5.59

-37.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.93 $0.93

35.48%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$25.9K $25.9K

35.42%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$29.3K $29.3K

-11.08%

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

$193 $193

$339 $339

-43.24%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$77.6 $77.6

-12.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$149 $149

-58.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$64.1 $64.1

-15.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

$40.45 $40.45

-30.98%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$19.63 $19.63

-9.63%

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

$1,652 $1,652

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$85.0K $85.0K

-63.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$74.3 $74.3

-11.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$50.7 $50.7

1.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$101 $101

-0.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$121 $121

16.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,896 $1,896

29.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,713 $1,713

-2.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,769 $2,769

70.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,507 $2,507

11.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,132 $2,132

92.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,090 $2,090

26.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$5,001 $5,001

-2.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.1

11.64%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Schaumburg, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Schaumburg, IL

$1.7K 52.4% 2.1% $35

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Schaumburg, IL

$461 * 14.1% 2.5% $11

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Schaumburg, IL

$271 8.3% 21% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Schaumburg, IL

$566 17.3% 75.7% $244

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Schaumburg, IL

$156 4.8% 3.2% $5.2

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Schaumburg, IL

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Schaumburg, IL

$103 3.2% 15.4% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,896 in Schaumburg, IL. 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 3% higher in Schaumburg, 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $101 in Schaumburg, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $461 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Schaumburg, IL

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

78,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 Schaumburg, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $3,270 in Schaumburg, IL – roughly 4% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,905 in Schaumburg, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $101 in Schaumburg, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $3,270 in Schaumburg, IL. That's a gap of about 4%.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $3,270 in Schaumburg, IL. 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 $3,139 in Chicago, IL to $3,270 in Schaumburg, 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 Chicago, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Schaumburg, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.