Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Scottsdale, AZ Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Scottsdale, AZ

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Chicago, IL is 16.2% more expensive than Scottsdale, AZ without rent, and 1.6% cheaper with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Chicago, IL is 33.1% more expensive than Scottsdale, AZ without rent, and 9.1% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Chicago, IL
Scottsdale, AZ
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.82 $20.82
$18.29 $18.29
13.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$100 $100
$78 $78
28.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.97 $11.97
$11.93 $11.93
0.34%
Cappuccino
$5.56 $5.56
$5.34 $5.34
4.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 $3.11
$2.93 $2.93
6.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$2.23 $2.23
8.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.86 $6.86
$5.93 $5.93
15.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.45 $8.45
$7.17 $7.17
17.85%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Chicago, IL
Scottsdale, AZ
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$0.9 $0.9
15.56%
White Bread (500g)
$4.15 $4.15
$3.5 $3.5
18.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.52 $5.52
$5.17 $5.17
6.77%
Eggs
$4.65 $4.65
$4.18 $4.18
11.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.33 $14.33
$11.16 $11.16
28.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.88 $14.88
$11.62 $11.62
28.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.34 $19.34
$14.96 $14.96
29.28%
Apples (1kg)
$5.17 $5.17
$4.42 $4.42
16.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.46 $1.46
17.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.41 $4.41
$3.79 $3.79
16.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$4.21 $4.21
7.13%
Potato (1kg)
$2.53 $2.53
$2.73 $2.73
-7.33%
Onion (1kg)
$2.74 $2.74
$2.48 $2.48
10.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 $2.43
$1.98 $1.98
22.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.7 $2.7
$2.45 $2.45
10.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.19 $15.19
$9.25 $9.25
64.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.42 $16.42
$14.89 $14.89
10.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 $2.35
$2.1 $2.1
11.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.7 $3.7
$3.39 $3.39
9.14%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Chicago, IL
Scottsdale, AZ
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.53 $2.53
$2.27 $2.27
11.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.1 $74.1
$42.2 $42.2
75.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.34 $3.34
$2.79 $2.79
19.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 $1.42
$1.35 $1.35
5.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.42 $25.42
$36.6 $36.6
-30.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$1.02 $1.02
5.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K $32.4K
$30.6K $30.6K
5.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$25.5K $25.5K
2.91%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chicago, IL
Scottsdale, AZ
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 $188
$261 $261
-27.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$63.7 $63.7
$70.8 $70.8
-9.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$65.2 $65.2
$79.5 $79.5
-17.96%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Chicago, IL
Scottsdale, AZ
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.7 $76.7
$33.69 $33.69
127.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.03 $13.03
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.93 $14.93
$12.78 $12.78
16.82%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Chicago, IL
Scottsdale, AZ
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,063 $2,063
$1,164 $1,164
77.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.2K $39.2K
$15.5K $15.5K
153.27%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Chicago, IL
Scottsdale, AZ
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.3 $64.3
$50.6 $50.6
27.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.4 $52.4
$41.24 $41.24
27.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.2 $95.2
$82.3 $82.3
15.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 $145
$120 $120
20.38%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Chicago, IL
Scottsdale, AZ
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,378 $2,378
$1,815 $1,815
30.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,584 $1,584
$1,690 $1,690
-6.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,763 $4,763
$3,381 $3,381
40.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,815 $2,815
$2,724 $2,724
3.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,588 $3,588
$3,252 $3,252
10.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,490 $2,490
$2,966 $2,966
-16.04%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Chicago, IL
Scottsdale, AZ
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,275 $5,275
$5,836 $5,836
-9.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.6
6.51
1.38%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 29, 2025

Last update for Scottsdale, AZ: October 29, 2025

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