Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Sterling

For one person, living is cheaper in Sterling: $2,824 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Sterling
Learn more

Sterling Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Sterling

🇺🇸 United States

$2,824

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Sterling

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

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,824 in Sterling, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Sterling $2,824

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,327 in Sterling, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Sterling $4,327

A family of three spends $6,077 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,831 in Sterling, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Sterling $5,831

Chicago, IL costs about 13% more than Sterling, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Sterling sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Sterling by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$19.32 $19.32

11.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$75.4 $75.4

17.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$11.84 $11.84

11.49%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$5.90 $5.90

-5.25%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.98 $2.98

-11.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.48 $2.48

-8.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$5.42 $5.42

31.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$7.91 $7.91

16.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.05 $1.05

21.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$4.01 $4.01

-4.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$5.11 $5.11

-0.78%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$5.61 $5.61

-13.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$17.11 $17.11

-17.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$14.54 $14.54

0.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$18.87 $18.87

-0.58%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.58 $5.58

-6.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.34 $2.34

-14.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$5.05 $5.05

-20.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.88 $5.88

-15.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.82 $2.82

-1.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.83 $3.83

-30.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.26 $2.26

-5.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.64 $2.64

17.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$9.90 $9.90

62.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$13.96 $13.96

8.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.32 $2.32

12.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$5.54 $5.54

-37.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$4.96 $4.96

-50.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.98 $2.98

7.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.41 $1.41

-1.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$22.86 $22.86

9.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.04 $1.04

19.23%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$36.0K $36.0K

3.40%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.1K $25.1K

2.94%

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

$192 $192

$156 $156

23.02%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$50.5 $50.5

34.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$79.1 $79.1

-23.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$29.37 $29.37

82.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$18.12 $18.12

-1.77%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,918 $1,918

-18.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$32.2K $32.2K

-2.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$52.8 $52.8

28.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$45.11 $45.11

12.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$87.7 $87.7

15.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$107 $107

33.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$1,255 $1,255

89.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,512 $1,512

13.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$2,025 $2,025

130.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$2,875 $2,875

-4.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$3,239 $3,239

28.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$2,372 $2,372

13.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$3,714 $3,714

31.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.63

2.11%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sterling: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Sterling

$1.5K 53.6% 11.7% $200

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Sterling

$473 16.8% 4.8% $22

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Sterling

$326 11.5% 7.7% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Sterling

$286 10.1% 10.9% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Sterling

$132 4.7% 19.4% $32

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Sterling

$30 * 1.1% 68.6% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Sterling

$66 2.3% 26.4% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $1,255 in Sterling. 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 32% 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 $89.0 in Chicago, IL versus $75.0 in Sterling. Groceries tell a different story – $451 in Chicago, IL vs $473 in Sterling – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Sterling

🕒 Local time

07:35 7:35 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

14,782

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Sterling 170 km

From you

Chicago, IL
Sterling

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 Sterling: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL, $2,824 in Sterling – roughly 13% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,777 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,236 in Sterling. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sterling, 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 $89.0 in Chicago, IL and $75.0 in Sterling. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sterling, where all-in costs run around $2,824, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In Sterling 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 $2,824 in Sterling to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sterling. 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.