Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Urbana, IL: $1,871 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Urbana, IL
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Urbana, IL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Urbana, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,871

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,871 in Urbana, IL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Urbana, IL $1,871

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,123 in Urbana, IL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Urbana, IL $2,123

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,374 in Urbana, IL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Urbana, IL $2,374

Chicago, IL costs about 68% more than Urbana, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Urbana, IL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Urbana, IL by 38%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$14.83 $14.83

39.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$59.0 $59.0

52.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$9.95 $9.95

30.05%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.71 $4.71

18.90%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.25 $2.25

17.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.77 $1.77

28.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.46 $5.46

27.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$5.65 $5.65

56.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.78 $0.78

62.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.03 $3.03

25.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.01 $3.01

76.08%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.82 $3.82

24.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$12.23 $12.23

14.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$8.95 $8.95

63.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$14.14 $14.14

32.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.02 $4.02

29.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.63 $1.63

21.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.18 $3.18

23.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.54 $4.54

9.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.23 $2.23

23.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.65 $2.65

4.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.30 $2.30

-3.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.37 $1.37

117.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$12.21 $12.21

14.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$15.22 $15.22

0.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.08 $2.08

24.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.51 $3.51

-0.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.99 $0.99

149.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.03 $3.03

10.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$0.59 $0.59

142.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$25.08 $25.08

-3.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.16 $1.16

8.62%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.7K $27.7K

26.43%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.3K $26.3K

-0.83%

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

$193 $193

$242 $242

-20.25%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$44.28 $44.28

54.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$60.7 $60.7

0.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$13.14 $13.14

35.01%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,003 $1,003

64.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$20.4K $20.4K

52.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$48.69 $48.69

35.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$50.8 $50.8

0.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$97.7 $97.7

2.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$121 $121

16.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$866 $866

182.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$746 $746

125.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$1,774 $1,774

131.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$1,732 $1,732

53.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$6,774 $6,774

-28.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.82

-0.15%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Urbana, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Urbana, IL

$746 39.9% 55.6% $932

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Urbana, IL

$340 18.2% 24.3% $109

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Urbana, IL

$260 13.9% 24.4% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Urbana, IL

$347 18.5% 7.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Urbana, IL

$143 7.6% 11.3% $18

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Urbana, IL

$10 * 0.5% 89.5% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Urbana, IL

$26 * 1.4% 70.7% $63

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 $866 in Urbana, IL. 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 39% higher in Urbana, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $59.0 in Urbana, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $340 – making Urbana, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Urbana, IL

🕒 Local time

13:01 1:01 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

41,250

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Urbana, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $1,871 in Urbana, IL – roughly 68% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $2,807 in Urbana, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Urbana, IL, 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 $59.0 in Urbana, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Urbana, IL, where all-in costs run around $1,871, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Urbana, IL 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 $1,871 in Urbana, IL to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Urbana, IL. 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.