Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbia, TN and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Columbia, TN: $2,298 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Columbia, TN
Learn more

Columbia, TN Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Columbia, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,298

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,298 per month in Columbia, TN vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Columbia, TN $2,298
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,486 per month in Columbia, TN vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Columbia, TN $3,486
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,674 per month in Columbia, TN vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Columbia, TN $4,674
Chicago, IL $5,999

Columbia, TN is about 24% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Columbia, TN and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Columbia, TN by 69%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.93 $11.93

$20.71 $20.71

-42.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 $60.6

$89.2 $89.2

-32.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 $10.14

$13.19 $13.19

-23.12%

Cappuccino

$3.89 $3.89

$5.66 $5.66

-31.27%

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

$2.16 $2.16

$2.64 $2.64

-18.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$2.28 $2.28

-31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.33 $6.33

$6.87 $6.87

-7.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 $7.32

$8.84 $8.84

-17.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.25 $1.25

-23.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 $2.90

$3.72 $3.72

-22.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$5.39 $5.39

-25.42%

Eggs

$2.56 $2.56

$4.74 $4.74

-45.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 $13.29

$13.84 $13.84

-3.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$14.40 $14.40

-54.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.09 $13.09

$18.38 $18.38

-28.78%

Apples (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$5.22 $5.22

6.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.98 $1.98

-36.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$4.06 $4.06

42.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.97 $4.97

-19.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.67 $2.67

18.35%

Onion (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.66 $2.66

56.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.24 $2.24

12.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$3.13 $3.13

-31.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.48 $9.48

$13.82 $13.82

-31.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 $13.11

$14.88 $14.88

-11.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.54 $2.54

-33.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.51 $3.51

-54.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 $1.99

$3.18 $3.18

-37.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.39 $1.39

-0.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.99 $19.99

$25.03 $25.03

-20.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.71 $0.71

$1.20 $1.20

-40.83%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-18.91%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.18%

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

$157 $157

$194 $194

-19.12%

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

$61.2 $61.2

$69.5 $69.5

-11.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.0 $75.0

$61.6 $61.6

21.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.45 $35.45

$47.90 $47.90

-25.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.59 $12.59

$17.81 $17.81

-29.31%

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

$1,678 $1,678

$1,794 $1,794

-6.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.9K $24.9K

$31.9K $31.9K

-22.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.38 $40.38

$67.0 $67.0

-39.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.60 $33.60

$52.1 $52.1

-35.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 $82.3

$102 $102

-18.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 $89.2

$144 $144

-37.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 $1,471

$2,526 $2,526

-41.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 $1,244

$1,578 $1,578

-21.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,573 $2,573

$4,738 $4,738

-45.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,378 $2,378

$2,693 $2,693

-11.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

6.81

-3.08%

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

Last update for Columbia, TN: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Columbia, TN

$1.2K 54.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 26.8% $334

Groceries & Markets

Columbia, TN

$347 15.1%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 29.1% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Columbia, TN

$293 12.8%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 11% $32

Eating Out

Columbia, TN

$234 10.2%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 47.6% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Columbia, TN

$110 4.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 48.5% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Columbia, TN

$61 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 37.8% $23

Getting Around

Columbia, TN

$8.9 * 0.4%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 948% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,471 in Columbia, TN versus $2,526 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Columbia, TN versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $347 vs $447 – making Columbia, TN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Columbia, TN

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

07:55 7:55 AM

Same time as Columbia, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

672,228

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Columbia, TN Chicago, IL 700 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Columbia, TN
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

Columbia, TN vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,298 in Columbia, TN, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Columbia, TN comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,446 per month in Columbia, TN and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Columbia, TN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,471 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Columbia, TN and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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