Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Tucson, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Tucson, AZ: $2,327 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Tucson, AZ
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Tucson, AZ Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Tucson, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,327

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Tucson, AZ

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,327 in Tucson, AZ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Tucson, AZ $2,327

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,432 in Tucson, AZ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Tucson, AZ $3,432

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,537 in Tucson, AZ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Tucson, AZ $4,537

Chicago, IL costs about 31% more than Tucson, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Tucson, AZ sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Tucson, AZ by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.86 $19.86

4.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$79.4 $79.4

12.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$13.06 $13.06

1.00%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.13 $5.13

10.33%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.75 $2.75

-4.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.22 $2.22

2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.09 $7.09

-3.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.35 $7.35

20.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.95 $0.95

31.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.27 $3.27

13.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.12 $5.12

5.27%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.55 $4.55

4.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$13.54 $13.54

2.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$11.36 $11.36

26.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$16.96 $16.96

8.37%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.65 $4.65

12.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.87 $1.87

5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.95 $3.95

2.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.09 $4.09

21.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.45 $2.45

8.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.92 $2.92

-8.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.07 $2.07

8.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.08 $2.08

50.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.04 $11.04

25.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.23 $13.23

12.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.44 $2.44

4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.76 $3.76

-6.65%

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

$2.69 $2.69

18.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.41 $1.41

-1.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$36.18 $36.18

-30.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.08 $1.08

11.11%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$35.8K $35.8K

-2.19%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

0.00%

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

$194 $194

0.04%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$62.9 $62.9

10.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$74.3 $74.3

-17.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$36.51 $36.51

31.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$10.06 $10.06

171.77%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$13.14 $13.14

35.54%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,053 $1,053

70.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$15.8K $15.8K

102.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$54.3 $54.3

23.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$43.38 $43.38

20.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$97.1 $97.1

4.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$112 $112

28.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,434 $1,434

76.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,063 $1,063

48.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,264 $2,264

109.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,722 $1,722

56.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,364 $3,364

24.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,539 $2,539

9.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,016 $4,016

22.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.44

5.75%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tucson, AZ: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Tucson, AZ

$1.1K 45.7% 32.7% $515

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Tucson, AZ

$392 16.9% 12.3% $55

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Tucson, AZ

$330 14.2% 4.4% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Tucson, AZ

$332 14.3% 1.8% $6

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Tucson, AZ

$138 5.9% 15.8% $26

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Tucson, AZ

$9.7 * 0.4% 89.6% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Tucson, AZ

$63 2.7% 24.8% $21

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 $1,434 in Tucson, AZ. 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 23% 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 $79 in Tucson, AZ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $392 – making Tucson, AZ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Tucson, AZ

🕒 Local time

13:38 1:38 PM

12:38 12:38 PM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

520,116

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Tucson, AZ 2,320 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Tucson, AZ

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 Tucson, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,327 in Tucson, AZ – Tucson, AZ comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,490 in Tucson, AZ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tucson, AZ, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,434 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $79 in Tucson, AZ. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Tucson, AZ, where all-in costs run around $2,327, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Tucson, AZ it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tucson, AZ – 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 Tucson, AZ. 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.