Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Williston, ND

For one person, living is cheaper in Williston, ND: $2,269 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Williston, ND
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Williston, ND Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Williston, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Williston, 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 Williston, ND actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,269 in Williston, ND, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Williston, ND $2,269

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,718 in Williston, ND, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Williston, ND $3,718

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,166 in Williston, ND, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Williston, ND $5,166

Chicago, IL costs about 35% more than Williston, ND, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Williston, ND sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Williston, ND by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$20.07 $20.07

1.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$75.9 $75.9

16.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$11.36 $11.36

13.12%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.23 $5.23

10.52%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.75 $2.75

-0.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.01 $2.01

12.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$5.39 $5.39

27.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$6.83 $6.83

35.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.96 $0.96

31.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.04 $2.04

74.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.10 $4.10

31.22%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$4.12 $4.12

10.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$30.04 $30.04

-54.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$12.64 $12.64

11.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$13.94 $13.94

29.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.18 $5.18

-0.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.85 $1.85

7.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.24 $4.24

-8.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.70 $4.70

2.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.86 $2.86

-1.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.96 $2.96

-9.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.11 $2.11

-1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.20 $2.20

37.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$10.15 $10.15

36.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.37 $15.37

-2.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.91 $1.91

37.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.72 $3.72

-7.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.83 $1.83

32.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$68.8 $68.8

9.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.00 $3.00

5.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.52 $1.52

11.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$32.58 $32.58

-23.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.06 $1.06

20.75%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$24.2K $24.2K

47.97%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.8K $24.8K

7.96%

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

$192 $192

$197 $197

-2.64%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$58.7 $58.7

18.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$74.5 $74.5

-16.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$41.64 $41.64

14.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$13.64 $13.64

30.72%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,360 $1,360

33.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$20.1K $20.1K

102.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$53.5 $53.5

23.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$40.89 $40.89

25.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$95.6 $95.6

8.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$103 $103

38.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$997 $997

153.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$901 $901

79.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,057 $2,057

134.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,154 $2,154

26.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$2,237 $2,237

86.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,273 $2,273

19.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$5,795 $5,795

-15.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.59

2.88%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Williston, ND: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Williston, ND

$901 39.7% 44.4% $720

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Williston, ND

$433 19.1% 1.5% $6.7

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Williston, ND

$317 14% 7.8% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Williston, ND

$330 14.6% 2% $6.6

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Williston, ND

$132 5.8% 19.3% $32

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Williston, ND

$87 3.8% 10.4% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Williston, ND

$69 3% 17.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $997 in Williston, ND. 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 18% higher in Williston, ND, 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 $89 in Chicago, IL versus $76 in Williston, ND. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $433 – making Williston, ND the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Williston, ND

🕒 Local time

07:47 7:47 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

30,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Williston, ND 1,430 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Williston, 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 Williston, ND: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,269 in Williston, ND – Williston, ND comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,403 in Williston, ND. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Williston, ND, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $997 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $76 in Williston, ND. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Williston, ND. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Williston, ND, where all-in costs run around $2,269, than in Chicago, IL at $3,072. In Williston, ND it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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