Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Sparks, NV, United States

For one person, living is cheaper in Sparks, NV, United States: $2,478 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Sparks, NV, United States
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Sparks, NV, United States Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Sparks, NV, United States

🇺🇸 United States

$2,478

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Sparks, NV, United States

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 Sparks, NV, United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,478 in Sparks, NV, United States, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Sparks, NV, United States $2,478

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,761 in Sparks, NV, United States, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Sparks, NV, United States $3,761

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,044 in Sparks, NV, United States, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Sparks, NV, United States $5,044

Chicago, IL costs about 24% more than Sparks, NV, United States, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Sparks, NV, United States sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Sparks, NV, United States by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$24.05 $24.05

-15.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$66.3 $66.3

33.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$11.63 $11.63

10.49%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.28 $5.28

9.47%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.71 $2.71

1.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.98 $1.98

14.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$5.77 $5.77

19.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$6.72 $6.72

37.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.01 $1.01

24.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.56 $3.56

-0.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.25 $4.25

26.59%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$4.07 $4.07

11.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$12.33 $12.33

10.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$11.43 $11.43

23.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$17.19 $17.19

5.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.92 $4.92

4.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.61 $1.61

22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.37 $4.37

-11.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.80 $4.80

0.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.79 $2.79

0.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.88 $2.88

-7.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.08 $2.08

-0.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.22 $2.22

36.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$9.99 $9.99

39.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.29 $15.29

-1.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.93 $1.93

36.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.60 $3.60

-4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.03 $2.03

19.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$59.4 $59.4

26.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.98 $2.98

6.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$29.59 $29.59

-15.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.98 $0.98

30.61%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$29.5K $29.5K

21.18%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.0K $27.0K

-0.56%

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

$192 $192

$199 $199

-3.70%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$75.4 $75.4

-7.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$53.1 $53.1

17.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$39.62 $39.62

20.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$13.95 $13.95

27.81%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,341 $1,341

35.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$20.3K $20.3K

100.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$52.5 $52.5

26.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$46.97 $46.97

9.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$87.0 $87.0

18.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$112 $112

27.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,394 $1,394

81.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,120 $1,120

44.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,608 $2,608

85.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,086 $2,086

31.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$2,808 $2,808

48.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,345 $2,345

16.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$4,257 $4,257

15.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.59

2.88%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Sparks, NV, United States: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Sparks, NV, United States

$1.1K 45.2% 30.9% $501

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Sparks, NV, United States

$397 16% 9.6% $42

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Sparks, NV, United States

$352 14.2% 2.2% $7.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Sparks, NV, United States

$328 13.2% 1.2% $4

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Sparks, NV, United States

$134 5.4% 18.1% $30

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Sparks, NV, United States

$79 3.2% 18.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Sparks, NV, United States

$68 2.7% 19.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,394 in Sparks, NV, United States. 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 16% 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 Sparks, NV, United States. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $397 – making Sparks, NV, United States the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Sparks, NV, United States

🕒 Local time

18:10 6:10 PM

16:10 4:10 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

104,246

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Sparks, NV, United States 2,700 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Sparks, NV, United States

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 Sparks, NV, United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,478 in Sparks, NV, United States – Sparks, NV, United States comes out roughly 19% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,716 in Sparks, NV, United States. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sparks, NV, United States, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,394 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Sparks, NV, United States, where all-in costs run around $2,478, than in Chicago, IL at $3,072. In Sparks, NV, United States it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sparks, NV, United States – 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 Sparks, NV, United States. 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.