Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Waterloo, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Waterloo, IA: $1,807 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 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
87

Cost of Living Index in Waterloo, IA
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Waterloo, IA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Waterloo, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,807

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Waterloo, IA

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 Waterloo, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,807 in Waterloo, IA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Waterloo, IA $1,807

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,550 in Waterloo, IA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Waterloo, IA $2,550

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,294 in Waterloo, IA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Waterloo, IA $3,294

Chicago, IL costs about 68% more than Waterloo, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Waterloo, IA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Waterloo, IA by 33%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$16.11 $16.11

28.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$56.4 $56.4

58.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$8.91 $8.91

48.04%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.81 $5.81

-2.58%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.67 $2.67

-1.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.95 $1.95

16.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$3.92 $3.92

75.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.82 $7.82

13.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.97 $0.97

28.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.40 $2.40

55.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$1.74 $1.74

209.77%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.61 $3.61

31.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$13.41 $13.41

3.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$13.36 $13.36

7.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.38 $17.38

5.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.70 $4.70

11.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.53 $1.53

29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.87 $3.87

4.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.43 $4.43

12.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.14 $1.14

134.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.21 $2.21

20.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.97 $1.97

13.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.57 $1.57

99.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.25 $8.25

67.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.98 $13.98

6.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.71 $2.71

-6.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.77 $1.77

98.31%

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

$4.04 $4.04

-21.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.03 $2.03

-31.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$44.55 $44.55

-43.82%

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

$31.0K $31.0K

13.07%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.52%

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

$194 $194

$152 $152

28.06%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$52.8 $52.8

31.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$60.8 $60.8

1.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$26.92 $26.92

77.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.19 $15.19

17.25%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,662 $1,662

7.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$23.7K $23.7K

34.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$19.83 $19.83

237.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$15.15 $15.15

244.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$58.9 $58.9

72.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$79.2 $79.2

81.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$850 $850

197.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$749 $749

110.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,359 $1,359

248.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$973 $973

176.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$1,582 $1,582

164.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,530 $1,530

80.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,801 $3,801

29.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.69

1.79%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Waterloo, IA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Waterloo, IA

$749 41.5% 52.5% $829

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Waterloo, IA

$364 20.2% 18.6% $83

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Waterloo, IA

$279 15.4% 19.1% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Waterloo, IA

$265 14.7% 18.5% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Waterloo, IA

$78 4.3% 52.5% $86

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Waterloo, IA

$14 * 0.8% 84.8% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Waterloo, IA

$57 3.2% 31.4% $26

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 $850 in Waterloo, IA. 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 30% 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 $56 in Waterloo, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $364 – making Waterloo, IA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Waterloo, IA

🕒 Local time

10:46 10:46 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

67,314

💱 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 Waterloo, IA 390 km

From you

Chicago, IL
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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 Waterloo, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $1,807 in Waterloo, IA – Waterloo, IA comes out roughly 40% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $2,711 in Waterloo, IA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Waterloo, IA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $850 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $56 in Waterloo, IA. 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.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Waterloo, IA, where all-in costs run around $1,807, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Waterloo, IA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Waterloo, IA – 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 Waterloo, IA. 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.