Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Sterling Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Sterling

😐 Solo nomad: Chicago, IL is 3.9% more expensive than Sterling without rent, and 15.9% more expensive with rent.

😐 Family of 3: Chicago, IL is 19.8% more expensive than Sterling without rent, and 22.2% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.10 $20.10

$19.96 $19.96

0.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$84.4 $84.4

20.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.02 $12.02

$13.02 $13.02

-7.68%

Cappuccino

$5.62 $5.62

$5.47 $5.47

2.74%

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

$3.01 $3.01

$2.74 $2.74

9.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.28 $2.28

3.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.06 $6.06

15.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.45 $8.45

$7.59 $7.59

11.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.89 $0.89

22.47%

White Bread (500g)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.46 $3.46

19.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$2.21 $2.21

152.04%

Eggs

$4.51 $4.51

$5.03 $5.03

-10.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.42 $14.42

$19.30 $19.30

-25.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.02 $15.02

$11.92 $11.92

26.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.98 $18.98

$18.18 $18.18

4.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$4.74 $4.74

9.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.28 $1.28

39.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$7.08 $7.08

-38.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$6.65 $6.65

-31.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.47 $3.47

-26.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.70 $2.70

0.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.20 $2.20

13.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.50 $2.50

5.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.12 $15.12

$9.15 $9.15

65.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 $14.91

$13.76 $13.76

8.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.70 $1.70

45.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

$4.88 $4.88

-25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.02 $2.02

27.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 $74.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 $3.30

$4.58 $4.58

-27.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.35 $1.35

1.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.96 $24.96

$28.75 $28.75

-13.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$0.88 $0.88

20.45%

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

$31.4K $31.4K

$26.8K $26.8K

17.38%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$24.6K $24.6K

6.67%

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

$187 $187

$212 $212

-12.09%

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

$63.0 $63.0

$52.2 $52.2

20.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 $65.8

$74.4 $74.4

-11.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.2 $75.2

$28.45 $28.45

164.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.95 $12.95

Cinema Ticket

$15.13 $15.13

$14.89 $14.89

1.61%

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

$2,067 $2,067

$1,774 $1,774

16.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$38.8K $38.8K

$23.7K $23.7K

63.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.0 $64.0

$47.60 $47.60

34.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$44.27 $44.27

14.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 $97.3

$96.0 $96.0

1.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$119 $119

20.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,338 $2,338

$1,245 $1,245

87.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 $1,614

$1,360 $1,360

18.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,764 $4,764

$2,009 $2,009

137.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,762 $2,762

$2,234 $2,234

23.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,766 $3,766

$3,258 $3,258

15.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,614 $2,614

$2,390 $2,390

9.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,006 $5,006

$3,688 $3,688

35.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

6.57

0.46%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: March 3, 2026

Last update for Sterling: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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