Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Union City, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Union City, TN: $1,653 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Union City, TN
Learn more

Union City, TN Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Union City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,653

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Union City, TN

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 Union City, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,653 in Union City, TN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Union City, TN $1,653

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,486 in Union City, TN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Union City, TN $2,486

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,318 in Union City, TN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Union City, TN $3,318

Chicago, IL costs about 90% more than Union City, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Union City, TN sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Union City, TN by 22%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$9.87 $9.87

109.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$50.3 $50.3

79.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$6.95 $6.95

86.19%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$3.11 $3.11

80.06%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.20 $2.20

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.56 $1.56

45.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$3.90 $3.90

78.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$3.89 $3.89

126.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.92 $0.92

38.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.38 $2.38

59.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.07 $2.07

156.04%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$2.69 $2.69

76.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$7.88 $7.88

77.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$8.85 $8.85

65.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$18.69 $18.69

0.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.44 $4.44

16.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.26 $1.26

57.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.70 $2.70

45.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.43 $4.43

11.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.19 $2.19

26.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.83 $1.83

50.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.77 $1.77

25.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.38 $1.38

115.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$6.83 $6.83

105.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$13.97 $13.97

9.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.05 $2.05

25.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.84 $1.84

90.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.85 $1.85

33.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$4.85 $4.85

-31.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.52 $1.52

-5.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$21.16 $21.16

14.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.83 $0.83

51.81%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$37.1K $37.1K

-5.57%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$27.3K $27.3K

-4.42%

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

$193 $193

$228 $228

-15.53%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$33.13 $33.13

106.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$75.2 $75.2

-18.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$41.53 $41.53

30.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

$7.06 $7.06

295.47%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$14.82 $14.82

19.70%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,465 $1,465

12.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$30.8K $30.8K

0.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$55.4 $55.4

19.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$43.06 $43.06

19.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$90.9 $90.9

10.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$136 $136

3.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$724 $724

237.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$585 $585

186.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$1,155 $1,155

308.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,099 $1,099

154.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,327 $2,327

76.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,591 $2,591

2.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$2,019 $2,019

140.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.55

3.97%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Union City, TN: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Union City, TN

$585 35.4% 65.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Union City, TN

$315 19% 30% $135

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Union City, TN

$179 10.9% 47.7% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Union City, TN

$336 20.4% 4.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Union City, TN

$147 8.9% 9.1% $15

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Union City, TN

$20 * 1.2% 79.1% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Union City, TN

$71 4.3% 20.6% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $724 in Union City, TN. 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 141% 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $50.0 in Union City, TN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $315 – making Union City, TN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Union City, TN

🕒 Local time

01:01 1:01 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

63,930

💱 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 Union City, TN 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Union City, TN

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 Union City, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $1,653 in Union City, TN – roughly 90% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $2,479 in Union City, TN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Union City, TN, 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $50.0 in Union City, TN. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Union City, TN, where all-in costs run around $1,653, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Union City, TN 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 $1,653 in Union City, TN to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Union City, TN. 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.