Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colorado Springs, CO and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Colorado Springs, CO: $2,971 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Colorado Springs, CO
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Colorado Springs, CO Living Index
153

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

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Colorado Springs, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,971

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colorado Springs, CO and in Chicago, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Colorado Springs, CO and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,971 per month in Colorado Springs, CO vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Colorado Springs, CO $2,971
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $4,310 per month in Colorado Springs, CO vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Colorado Springs, CO $4,310
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $5,650 per month in Colorado Springs, CO vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Colorado Springs, CO $5,650
Chicago, IL $6,077

Colorado Springs, CO is about 7% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Colorado Springs, CO and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Colorado Springs, CO by 120%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.69 $19.69

$21.58 $21.58

-8.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 $84.8

$88.7 $88.7

-4.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.07 $13.07

$13.20 $13.20

-0.98%

Cappuccino

$5.42 $5.42

$5.59 $5.59

-3.04%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$2.63 $2.63

4.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.26 $2.26

-2.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$7.11 $7.11

-15.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.27 $7.27

$9.23 $9.23

-21.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.28 $1.28

-27.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.84 $3.84

-17.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$5.07 $5.07

-15.19%

Eggs

$5.98 $5.98

$4.84 $4.84

23.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 $14.66

$14.17 $14.17

3.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.27 $13.27

$14.61 $14.61

-9.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.69 $19.69

$18.76 $18.76

4.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$5.19 $5.19

8.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$2.00 $2.00

-29.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$4.00 $4.00

10.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.98 $4.98

-3.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.79 $2.79

-13.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.65 $2.65

-2.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.13 $2.13

11.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$3.09 $3.09

-35.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.55 $10.55

$16.05 $16.05

-34.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.04 $19.04

$15.20 $15.20

25.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.62 $2.62

28.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 $4.76

$3.46 $3.46

37.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.47 $2.47

-28.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.7 $62.7

$75.1 $75.1

-16.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.21 $3.21

15.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.39 $1.39

1.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.85 $24.85

$25.02 $25.02

-0.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.24 $1.24

-18.55%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$37.2K $37.2K

-31.58%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$25.8K $25.8K

-1.80%

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

$204 $204

$192 $192

5.89%

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

$94.0 $94.0

$67.8 $67.8

38.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 $103

$60.9 $60.9

68.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.0 $59.0

$53.6 $53.6

10.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.93 $32.93

$27.90 $27.90

18.03%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$17.80 $17.80

-17.42%

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

$1,516 $1,516

$1,554 $1,554

-2.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K $24.2K

$31.4K $31.4K

-22.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 $57.3

$67.9 $67.9

-15.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.61 $35.61

$50.8 $50.8

-29.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 $80.4

$101 $101

-20.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$143 $143

-27.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 $1,758

$2,383 $2,383

-26.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 $1,511

$1,712 $1,712

-11.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 $2,651

$4,674 $4,674

-43.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,419 $2,419

$2,738 $2,738

-11.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,581 $2,581

$4,158 $4,158

-37.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,436 $2,436

$2,691 $2,691

-9.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,233 $4,233

$4,894 $4,894

-13.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.77

-0.74%

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

Last update for Colorado Springs, CO: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colorado Springs, CO

$1.5K 50.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 13.3% $201

Groceries & Markets

Colorado Springs, CO

$440 14.8%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 2.5% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colorado Springs, CO

$400 13.5%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 19.8% $79

Eating Out

Colorado Springs, CO

$326 11%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 8.2% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Colorado Springs, CO

$125 4.2%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 31.3% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Colorado Springs, CO

$88 3%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 0.9% $0.8

Getting Around

Colorado Springs, CO

$81 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 18.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,758 in Colorado Springs, CO versus $2,383 in Chicago, IL. 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 16% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Colorado Springs, CO versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $440 vs $451 – making Colorado Springs, CO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Colorado Springs, CO

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

13:36 1:36 PM

14:36 2:36 PM

1 h ahead of Colorado Springs, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

478,961

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Colorado Springs, CO Chicago, IL 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Colorado Springs, CO
Chicago, IL

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

Colorado Springs, CO vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,971 in Colorado Springs, CO, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,457 per month in Colorado Springs, CO and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 2% 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Colorado Springs, CO and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,971 in Colorado Springs, CO and $3,185 in Chicago, 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 $2,971 in Colorado Springs, CO to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Colorado Springs, CO. 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.