Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Wakefield-Peacedale, RI

For one person, living is cheaper in Wakefield-Peacedale, RI: $2,511 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Wakefield-Peacedale, RI
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Wakefield-Peacedale, RI Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Wakefield-Peacedale, RI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Wakefield-Peacedale, RI

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 Wakefield-Peacedale, RI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,511 in Wakefield-Peacedale, RI, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Wakefield-Peacedale, RI $2,511

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,658 in Wakefield-Peacedale, RI, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Wakefield-Peacedale, RI $3,658

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,804 in Wakefield-Peacedale, RI, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Wakefield-Peacedale, RI $4,804

Chicago, IL costs about 21% more than Wakefield-Peacedale, RI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Wakefield-Peacedale, RI sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Wakefield-Peacedale, RI by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.77 $19.77

4.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$73.5 $73.5

21.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$13.23 $13.23

-0.30%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.26 $5.26

7.60%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.76 $2.76

-4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.46 $2.46

-7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.92 $5.92

16.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.77 $8.77

0.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.01 $1.01

23.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.18 $2.18

70.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.42 $4.42

21.95%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.55 $3.55

33.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$10.49 $10.49

31.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$7.92 $7.92

81.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$10.02 $10.02

83.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.36 $5.36

-2.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.65 $1.65

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.26 $3.26

24.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.35 $4.35

14.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.74 $1.74

53.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.19 $2.19

21.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.48 $2.48

-9.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.87 $2.87

9.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$13.73 $13.73

0.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.87 $14.87

0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.90 $1.90

33.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.96 $1.96

79.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.29 $2.29

6.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$64.3 $64.3

14.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$6.08 $6.08

-47.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.78 $1.78

-21.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$27.70 $27.70

-9.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.01 $1.01

18.81%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.5K $27.5K

27.59%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.30%

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

$194 $194

$176 $176

10.18%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$36.75 $36.75

88.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$59.4 $59.4

3.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$37.58 $37.58

27.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.30 $12.30

44.80%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,150 $2,150

-16.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$24.2K $24.2K

32.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$39.23 $39.23

70.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$16.55 $16.55

215.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$98.3 $98.3

3.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$126 $126

13.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,437 $1,437

75.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,299 $1,299

21.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,918 $2,918

62.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,132 $2,132

26.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,545 $2,545

64.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,110 $2,110

31.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.51

4.61%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Wakefield-Peacedale, RI: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Wakefield-Peacedale, RI

$1.3K 51.7% 17.7% $279

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Wakefield-Peacedale, RI

$333 13.3% 25.5% $114

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Wakefield-Peacedale, RI

$329 13.1% 4.6% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Wakefield-Peacedale, RI

$273 10.9% 16.3% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Wakefield-Peacedale, RI

$126 5% 23.1% $38

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Wakefield-Peacedale, RI

$88 3.5% 5.3% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Wakefield-Peacedale, RI

$62 2.5% 25.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,437 in Wakefield-Peacedale, RI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $74 in Wakefield-Peacedale, RI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $333 – making Wakefield-Peacedale, RI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Wakefield-Peacedale, RI

🕒 Local time

06:58 6:58 AM

07:58 7:58 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

8,487

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Wakefield-Peacedale, RI 1,340 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Wakefield-Peacedale, RI

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 Wakefield-Peacedale, RI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,511 in Wakefield-Peacedale, RI – Wakefield-Peacedale, RI comes out roughly 17% 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 $3,767 in Wakefield-Peacedale, RI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wakefield-Peacedale, RI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,437 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $74 in Wakefield-Peacedale, RI. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,511 in Wakefield-Peacedale, RI. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,511 in Wakefield-Peacedale, RI to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Wakefield-Peacedale, RI is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 17% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.