Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Watford City, ND

For one person, living is cheaper in Watford City, ND: $2,550 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Watford City, ND
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Watford City, ND Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Watford City, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Watford City, ND

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 Watford City, ND actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,550 in Watford City, ND, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Watford City, ND $2,550

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,892 in Watford City, ND, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Watford City, ND $3,892

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,233 in Watford City, ND, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Watford City, ND $5,233

Chicago, IL costs about 19% more than Watford City, ND, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Watford City, ND sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Watford City, ND by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$22.64 $22.64

-8.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$68.2 $68.2

30.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.33 $10.33

27.69%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.27 $5.27

7.40%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.91 $2.91

-9.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.24 $2.24

1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.47 $5.47

25.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.02 $7.02

25.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.06 $1.06

17.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.53 $3.53

5.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.34 $4.34

24.19%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.06 $4.06

16.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.56 $12.56

10.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$11.72 $11.72

22.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$16.76 $16.76

9.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.04 $5.04

3.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.58 $1.58

25.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.43 $4.43

-8.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.75 $4.75

4.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.82 $2.82

-5.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.12 $3.12

-14.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.90 $1.90

17.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.92 $1.92

63.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.80 $8.80

57.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.21 $14.21

4.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.67 $1.67

52.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.40 $3.40

3.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.27 $2.27

7.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$57.3 $57.3

28.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.38 $3.38

-5.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.61 $1.61

-13.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$26.13 $26.13

-4.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.03 $1.03

16.50%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$31.6K $31.6K

10.95%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$27.4K $27.4K

-2.64%

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

$194 $194

$222 $222

-12.41%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$53.1 $53.1

30.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$74.1 $74.1

-16.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$45.68 $45.68

4.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.18 $14.18

25.60%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,531 $1,531

17.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$25.4K $25.4K

25.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$49.74 $49.74

34.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$45.13 $45.13

15.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$76.4 $76.4

32.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$108 $108

33.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,581 $1,581

59.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,195 $1,195

32.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,778 $2,778

70.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,313 $2,313

16.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,070 $3,070

36.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,077 $2,077

33.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.57

3.65%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Watford City, ND: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Watford City, ND

$1.2K 46.9% 24.2% $383

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Watford City, ND

$391 15.3% 12.6% $56

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Watford City, ND

$337 13.2% 2.2% $7.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Watford City, ND

$349 13.7% 7.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Watford City, ND

$126 4.9% 23.5% $38

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Watford City, ND

$78 3.1% 16.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Watford City, ND

$74 2.9% 11.4% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,581 in Watford City, ND. 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 $68 in Watford City, ND. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $391 – making Watford City, ND the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Watford City, ND

🕒 Local time

09:11 9:11 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

6,200

💱 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 Watford City, ND 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Watford City, ND

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 Watford City, ND: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,550 in Watford City, ND – Watford City, ND comes out roughly 16% 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 $3,826 in Watford City, ND. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Watford City, ND, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,581 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $68 in Watford City, ND. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Watford City, ND, where all-in costs run around $2,550, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Watford City, ND it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Watford City, ND – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Watford City, ND is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 16% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.