Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and West Plains, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in West Plains, MO: $2,596 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in West Plains, MO
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West Plains, MO Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

West Plains, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,596

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in West Plains, MO

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 West Plains, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,596 in West Plains, MO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
West Plains, MO $2,596

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,771 in West Plains, MO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
West Plains, MO $3,771

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,946 in West Plains, MO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
West Plains, MO $4,946

Chicago, IL costs about 18% more than West Plains, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and West Plains, MO sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, West Plains, MO by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$16.83 $16.83

21.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$74.5 $74.5

18.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$10.88 $10.88

18.11%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.15 $5.15

12.23%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.96 $2.96

-7.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.40 $2.40

-5.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$5.41 $5.41

27.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$6.49 $6.49

42.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.07 $1.07

17.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.70 $2.70

31.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.80 $2.80

92.14%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$3.39 $3.39

34.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$10.44 $10.44

30.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$11.78 $11.78

19.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$22.86 $22.86

-21.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.06 $5.06

1.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.40 $1.40

41.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.45 $4.45

-12.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$3.95 $3.95

22.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.78 $2.78

1.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.59 $2.59

3.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.00 $2.00

3.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.83 $1.83

65.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$9.04 $9.04

53.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.74 $13.74

9.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.73 $1.73

52.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.73 $1.73

99.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.12 $2.12

14.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$61.0 $61.0

23.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.47 $2.47

28.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.47 $1.47

15.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$24.47 $24.47

1.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.94 $0.94

36.17%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.2K $27.2K

31.33%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.33%

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

$192 $192

$216 $216

-10.96%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$59.4 $59.4

17.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$68.5 $68.5

-9.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$43.77 $43.77

9.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$12.88 $12.88

38.43%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,044 $1,044

73.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$17.7K $17.7K

129.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$51.8 $51.8

27.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$38.67 $38.67

32.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$84.2 $84.2

22.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$150 $150

-5.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,786 $1,786

41.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,291 $1,291

25.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,463 $2,463

96.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,087 $2,087

31.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$3,103 $3,103

34.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,073 $2,073

31.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.75

0.44%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for West Plains, MO: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

West Plains, MO

$1.3K 49.7% 20.4% $330

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

West Plains, MO

$376 14.5% 14.5% $64

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

West Plains, MO

$291 11.2% 15.5% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

West Plains, MO

$344 13.2% 6.1% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

West Plains, MO

$146 5.6% 10.6% $17

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

West Plains, MO

$79 3.1% 18% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

West Plains, MO

$70 2.7% 16.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,786 in West Plains, MO. 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 $75 in West Plains, MO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $376 – making West Plains, MO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 West Plains, MO

🕒 Local time

10:22 10:22 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

12,184

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL West Plains, MO 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
West Plains, MO

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 West Plains, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,596 in West Plains, MO – West Plains, MO comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,894 in West Plains, MO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in West Plains, MO, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,786 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $75 in West Plains, MO. 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 $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,596 in West Plains, MO. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, West Plains, MO is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 15% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.