Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Taos, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Taos, NM: $2,755 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
133

Cost of Living Index in Taos, NM
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Taos, NM Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Taos, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,755

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Taos, 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 Taos, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,755 in Taos, NM, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Taos, NM $2,755

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,133 in Taos, NM, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Taos, NM $4,133

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,511 in Taos, NM, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Taos, NM $5,511

Chicago, IL costs about 10% more than Taos, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Taos, NM sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Taos, NM by 102%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$17.33 $17.33

19.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$68.8 $68.8

29.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.29 $9.29

41.98%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$3.94 $3.94

43.65%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.31 $2.31

14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.20 $2.20

3.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.98 $4.98

37.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$5.38 $5.38

64.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.84 $0.84

48.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.05 $3.05

21.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.33 $4.33

24.48%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.97 $3.97

19.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.98 $11.98

15.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$9.28 $9.28

55.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$10.89 $10.89

68.78%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.78 $4.78

9.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.47 $1.47

34.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.07 $4.07

-0.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.18 $5.18

-4.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.16 $3.16

-15.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.37 $3.37

-21.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.03 $2.03

10.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.57 $2.57

21.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$10.91 $10.91

26.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.91 $13.91

6.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.38 $2.38

6.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.12 $3.12

12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.63 $3.63

-12.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.95 $1.95

-28.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$32.25 $32.25

-22.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.95 $0.95

26.32%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$29.5K $29.5K

18.87%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.6K $25.6K

4.08%

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

$194 $194

$155 $155

25.31%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$63.3 $63.3

9.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$61.5 $61.5

0.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$94.3 $94.3

-49.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$8.90 $8.90

100.11%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,320 $1,320

35.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$25.4K $25.4K

25.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$54.2 $54.2

23.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$44.09 $44.09

18.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$105 $105

-3.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$119 $119

20.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,802 $1,802

40.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,574 $1,574

0.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,577 $3,577

32.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,887 $2,887

-6.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,810 $3,810

9.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$3,800 $3,800

-27.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$2,716 $2,716

81.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.3

8.10%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Taos, NM: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Taos, NM

$1.6K 57.1% 0.3% $4.3

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Taos, NM

$363 13.2% 18.8% $84

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Taos, NM

$268 9.7% 22.4% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Taos, NM

$280 10.2% 14% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Taos, NM

$145 5.3% 11.4% $19

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Taos, NM

$13 * 0.5% 85.7% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Taos, NM

$112 4.1% 34.2% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,802 in Taos, 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 82% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $69 in Taos, NM. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $363 – making Taos, NM the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Taos, NM

🕒 Local time

22:08 10:08 PM

21:08 9:08 PM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

6,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Taos, NM 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Taos, 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 Taos, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,755 in Taos, NM – Taos, NM comes out roughly 9% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,132 in Taos, NM. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taos, NM, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,802 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $69 in Taos, NM. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,755 in Taos, NM. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Taos, NM – 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 Taos, NM. 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.