Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Sierra Vista, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Sierra Vista, AZ: $1,911 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Sierra Vista, AZ
Learn more

Sierra Vista, AZ Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Sierra Vista, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$1,911

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Sierra Vista, AZ

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 Sierra Vista, AZ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,911 in Sierra Vista, AZ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Sierra Vista, AZ $1,911

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,854 in Sierra Vista, AZ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Sierra Vista, AZ $2,854

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,797 in Sierra Vista, AZ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Sierra Vista, AZ $3,797

Chicago, IL costs about 59% more than Sierra Vista, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Sierra Vista, AZ sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Sierra Vista, AZ by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$16.70 $16.70

24.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$66.0 $66.0

35.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$14.27 $14.27

-7.57%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.86 $5.86

-3.41%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.25 $2.25

17.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.55 $1.55

47.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.41 $5.41

26.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.87 $7.87

12.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.84 $0.84

48.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.22 $3.22

15.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.15 $2.15

150.70%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.34 $4.34

9.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$13.60 $13.60

1.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$13.04 $13.04

10.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$14.82 $14.82

24.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$2.72 $2.72

91.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.40 $1.40

41.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.33 $4.33

-6.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.16 $2.16

130.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.97 $1.97

35.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.14 $3.14

-15.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.28 $2.28

-1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.60 $2.60

20.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$10.99 $10.99

25.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.14 $14.14

5.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.40 $2.40

5.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.96 $2.96

18.58%

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

$2.74 $2.74

16.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.36 $1.36

2.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$36.71 $36.71

-31.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.13 $1.13

6.19%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$36.8K $36.8K

-4.67%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.04%

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

$194 $194

$135 $135

44.45%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$49.31 $49.31

40.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$73.7 $73.7

-16.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$11.90 $11.90

49.66%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$988 $988

81.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$23.0K $23.0K

39.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$59.2 $59.2

13.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$46.98 $46.98

10.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$101 $101

0.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$128 $128

12.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$889 $889

184.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$798 $798

97.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,351 $1,351

250.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,315 $1,315

104.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,001 $2,001

109.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,023 $2,023

36.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,094 $4,094

20.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.38

6.74%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sierra Vista, AZ: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Sierra Vista, AZ

$798 41.8% 49.4% $780

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Sierra Vista, AZ

$366 19.2% 18.2% $82

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Sierra Vista, AZ

$305 16% 11.7% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Sierra Vista, AZ

$258 13.5% 20.9% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Sierra Vista, AZ

$151 7.9% 8.1% $13

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Sierra Vista, AZ

$9.5 * 0.5% 89.8% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Sierra Vista, AZ

$24 * 1.3% 71.5% $60

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 $889 in Sierra Vista, AZ. 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 20% 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 $66 in Sierra Vista, AZ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $366 – making Sierra Vista, AZ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Sierra Vista, AZ

🕒 Local time

13:12 1:12 PM

12:12 12:12 PM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

45,308

💱 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 Sierra Vista, AZ 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Sierra Vista, AZ

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 Sierra Vista, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $1,911 in Sierra Vista, AZ – Sierra Vista, AZ comes out roughly 37% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $2,866 in Sierra Vista, AZ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sierra Vista, AZ, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $889 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $66 in Sierra Vista, AZ. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Sierra Vista, AZ – 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 Sierra Vista, AZ. 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.