Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Silver City, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Silver City, NM: $2,550 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Silver City, NM
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Silver City, NM Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Silver City, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Silver City, NM

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 Silver City, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,550 in Silver City, NM, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Silver City, NM $2,550

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,732 in Silver City, NM, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Silver City, NM $3,732

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,915 in Silver City, NM, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Silver City, NM $4,915

Chicago, IL costs about 23% more than Silver City, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Silver City, NM sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Silver City, NM by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$19.28 $19.28

7.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$80.2 $80.2

12.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$12.98 $12.98

-0.31%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.22 $5.22

7.28%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.70 $2.70

-2.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.42 $1.42

59.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$7.20 $7.20

-3.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.80 $6.80

29.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.80 $0.80

58.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.36 $3.36

13.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.56 $2.56

107.03%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.79 $4.79

-0.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$13.57 $13.57

2.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$10.89 $10.89

34.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$16.97 $16.97

10.61%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.45 $4.45

16.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.71 $1.71

15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.09 $4.09

21.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.54 $2.54

8.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.48 $2.48

11.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.16 $2.16

2.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.51 $1.51

97.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$11.07 $11.07

26.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$13.25 $13.25

15.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.55 $2.55

1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.69 $3.69

-5.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.30 $2.30

7.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.77 $2.77

20.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.41 $1.41

1.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$35.48 $35.48

-31.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.92 $0.92

36.96%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$36.1K $36.1K

-2.90%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$22.1K $22.1K

17.95%

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

$193 $193

$201 $201

-4.06%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$62.0 $62.0

10.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$74.4 $74.4

-17.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$40.48 $40.48

33.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$12.95 $12.95

36.99%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,082 $1,082

52.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$15.4K $15.4K

102.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$54.6 $54.6

21.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$44.50 $44.50

15.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$97.1 $97.1

3.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$112 $112

25.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,075 $1,075

127.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,294 $1,294

29.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$1,976 $1,976

138.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,127 $2,127

31.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$1,917 $1,917

114.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$1,946 $1,946

36.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$2,949 $2,949

65.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.44

5.75%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Silver City, NM: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Silver City, NM

$1.3K 50.8% 22.9% $383

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Silver City, NM

$372 14.6% 17.3% $78

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Silver City, NM

$322 12.6% 6.3% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Silver City, NM

$337 13.2% 4.7% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Silver City, NM

$139 5.5% 13.9% $22

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Silver City, NM

$19 * 0.8% 80% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Silver City, NM

$66 2.6% 25.9% $23

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 $1,075 in Silver City, NM. 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 65% 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $80.0 in Silver City, NM. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $372 – making Silver City, NM the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Silver City, NM

🕒 Local time

00:42 12:42 AM

23:42 11:42 PM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

9,700

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Silver City, NM 2,080 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Silver City, NM

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 Silver City, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,550 in Silver City, NM – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,824 in Silver City, NM. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Silver City, NM, 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 $80.0 in Silver City, NM. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Silver City, NM, where all-in costs run around $2,550, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Silver City, NM it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,550 in Silver City, NM to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Silver City, NM. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.