Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Zion, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Zion, IL: $2,515 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Zion, IL
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Zion, IL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Zion, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,515

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Zion, IL

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 Zion, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,515 in Zion, IL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Zion, IL $2,515

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,725 in Zion, IL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Zion, IL $3,725

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,935 in Zion, IL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Zion, IL $4,935

Chicago, IL costs about 25% more than Zion, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Zion, IL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Zion, IL by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$15.10 $15.10

36.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$62.4 $62.4

44.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$7.98 $7.98

62.16%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.54 $5.54

1.08%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.21 $2.21

19.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.09 $1.09

108.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.58 $5.58

25.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$4.94 $4.94

78.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.99 $0.99

28.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.40 $2.40

58.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.09 $4.09

29.58%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.94 $3.94

20.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$12.37 $12.37

12.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$15.45 $15.45

-5.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$16.20 $16.20

15.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$6.10 $6.10

-14.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.35 $2.35

-15.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.29 $4.29

-8.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.43 $4.43

11.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.36 $3.36

-17.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.68 $2.68

2.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.99 $1.99

11.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.57 $2.57

15.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$12.28 $12.28

14.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.57 $14.57

4.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.10 $2.10

22.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.97 $3.97

-11.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.93 $1.93

27.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$5.61 $5.61

-40.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.84 $2.84

-49.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$17.17 $17.17

41.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.15 $1.15

9.57%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.8K $27.8K

26.03%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.3K $26.3K

-0.76%

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

$193 $193

$220 $220

-12.37%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$51.8 $51.8

31.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$66.0 $66.0

-7.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$39.52 $39.52

36.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$11.20 $11.20

58.39%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,117 $1,117

47.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$12.6K $12.6K

147.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$46.09 $46.09

43.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$25.14 $25.14

103.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$57.7 $57.7

73.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$50.6 $50.6

178.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,685 $1,685

45.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,330 $1,330

26.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,536 $2,536

85.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,389 $2,389

17.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,939 $2,939

39.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,054 $2,054

28.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.82

-0.15%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Zion, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Zion, IL

$1.3K 52.9% 20.8% $348

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Zion, IL

$415 16.5% 7.7% $35

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Zion, IL

$262 10.4% 23.6% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Zion, IL

$338 13.4% 4.8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Zion, IL

$81 3.2% 49.9% $80

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Zion, IL

$28 * 1.1% 71% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Zion, IL

$62 2.5% 30.9% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,685 in Zion, IL. 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $62.0 in Zion, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $415 – making Zion, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Zion, IL

🕒 Local time

23:48 11:48 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

24,655

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL Zion, IL 66 km

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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 Zion, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,515 in Zion, IL – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,772 in Zion, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zion, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $62.0 in Zion, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,515 in Zion, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,515 in Zion, IL to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Zion, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.