Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Southbridge, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Southbridge, MA: $2,655 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Southbridge, MA
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Southbridge, MA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Southbridge, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,655

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Southbridge, MA

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 Southbridge, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,655 in Southbridge, MA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Southbridge, MA $2,655

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,672 in Southbridge, MA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Southbridge, MA $3,672

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,690 in Southbridge, MA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Southbridge, MA $4,690

Chicago, IL costs about 14% more than Southbridge, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Southbridge, MA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Southbridge, MA by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$11.91 $11.91

73.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$74.1 $74.1

20.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$13.09 $13.09

0.76%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.06 $5.06

11.86%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.80 $2.80

-5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.43 $2.43

-6.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.09 $6.09

12.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.24 $9.24

-4.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.05 $1.05

19.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.71 $4.71

-21.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.30 $4.30

25.35%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$6.47 $6.47

-26.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$10.40 $10.40

33.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$10.55 $10.55

36.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.82 $18.82

-2.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.53 $5.53

-5.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.61 $1.61

22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.29 $3.29

23.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.14 $3.14

58.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.24 $2.24

19.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.44 $2.44

9.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.65 $2.65

-15.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.85 $2.85

9.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$13.53 $13.53

2.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$17.07 $17.07

-12.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.89 $1.89

34.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.85 $2.85

23.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.17 $2.17

11.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$52.2 $52.2

40.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$6.09 $6.09

-47.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.56 $1.56

-10.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$29.10 $29.10

-13.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.07 $1.07

12.15%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.6K $27.6K

27.04%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.47%

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

$194 $194

$182 $182

7.02%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$37.05 $37.05

87.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$59.5 $59.5

3.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$40.71 $40.71

17.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.51 $12.51

42.37%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,141 $2,141

-16.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$24.2K $24.2K

32.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$38.02 $38.02

76.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$16.58 $16.58

214.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$99.6 $99.6

1.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$112 $112

28.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,708 $1,708

47.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,438 $1,438

9.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,722 $2,722

74.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,991 $1,991

35.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,793 $2,793

49.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,050 $2,050

35.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.51

4.61%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Southbridge, MA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Southbridge, MA

$1.4K 54.2% 8.9% $140

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Southbridge, MA

$413 15.6% 7.7% $34

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Southbridge, MA

$265 10% 23.1% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Southbridge, MA

$278 10.5% 14.5% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Southbridge, MA

$120 4.5% 27% $44

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Southbridge, MA

$75 2.8% 20% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Southbridge, MA

$66 2.5% 21.3% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,708 in Southbridge, MA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $74 in Southbridge, MA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $413 – making Southbridge, MA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Southbridge, MA

🕒 Local time

18:49 6:49 PM

19:49 7:49 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

16,719

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL Southbridge, MA 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Southbridge, MA

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 Southbridge, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,655 in Southbridge, MA – Southbridge, MA comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,982 in Southbridge, MA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Southbridge, MA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,708 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $74 in Southbridge, MA. 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 $2,655 in Southbridge, MA. 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 $2,655 in Southbridge, MA to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Southbridge, MA is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 13% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.