Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Worcester, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Worcester, MA: $2,799 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Worcester, MA
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Worcester, MA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Worcester, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,799

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Worcester, MA

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 Worcester, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,799 in Worcester, MA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Worcester, MA $2,799

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,928 in Worcester, MA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Worcester, MA $3,928

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,057 in Worcester, MA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Worcester, MA $5,057

Chicago, IL costs about 8% more than Worcester, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Worcester, MA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Worcester, MA by 106%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$22.27 $22.27

-7.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$72.5 $72.5

23.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.79 $11.79

11.87%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.91 $4.91

15.27%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.39 $2.39

10.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.66 $1.66

37.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.90 $5.90

16.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.11 $7.11

24.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.19 $1.19

5.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.70 $3.70

0.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.06 $5.06

6.52%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.76 $3.76

26.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$18.71 $18.71

-26.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$10.86 $10.86

32.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$20.47 $20.47

-10.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.64 $3.64

43.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.40 $1.40

41.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.45 $3.45

17.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.91 $4.91

1.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.98 $2.98

-10.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.28 $3.28

-18.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.77 $1.77

26.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.51 $1.51

107.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$13.03 $13.03

6.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.12 $12.12

22.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.69 $1.69

50.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.34 $3.34

5.09%

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

$5.07 $5.07

-37.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.35 $2.35

-40.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$35.64 $35.64

-29.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.06 $1.06

13.21%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.3K $27.3K

28.23%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.4K $26.4K

0.87%

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

$194 $194

$190 $190

2.22%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$55.4 $55.4

25.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$60.9 $60.9

1.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$33.64 $33.64

42.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$29.86 $29.86

-8.44%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$16.61 $16.61

7.22%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,694 $1,694

5.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$44.1K $44.1K

-27.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$47.11 $47.11

42.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$35.58 $35.58

46.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$92.1 $92.1

10.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

-0.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,026 $2,026

24.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,532 $1,532

2.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,951 $2,951

60.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,210 $2,210

21.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,114 $3,114

34.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,730 $2,730

1.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,225 $4,225

16.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.33

7.58%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Worcester, MA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Worcester, MA

$1.5K 54.7% 2.9% $46

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Worcester, MA

$401 14.3% 10.4% $46

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Worcester, MA

$332 11.9% 3.6% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Worcester, MA

$306 11% 5.8% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Worcester, MA

$143 5.1% 12.6% $21

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Worcester, MA

$17 * 0.6% 82% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Worcester, MA

$67 2.4% 19.9% $17

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 $2,026 in Worcester, MA. 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 17% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $73 in Worcester, MA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $401 – making Worcester, MA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Worcester, MA

🕒 Local time

01:01 1:01 AM

02:01 2:01 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

206,518

💱 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 Worcester, MA 1,300 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Worcester, MA

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 Worcester, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,799 in Worcester, MA – Worcester, MA comes out roughly 8% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,199 in Worcester, MA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Worcester, MA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,026 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $73 in Worcester, MA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,799 in Worcester, MA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Worcester, MA – 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 Worcester, MA. 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.