Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Concord, NH and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Concord, NH: $2,762 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Concord, NH
Learn more

Concord, NH Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Concord, NH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,762

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,762 per month in Concord, NH vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Concord, NH $2,762
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,156 per month in Concord, NH vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Concord, NH $4,156
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,550 per month in Concord, NH vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Concord, NH $5,550
Chicago, IL $6,115

Concord, NH is about 12% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Concord, NH and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Concord, NH by 104%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.31 $20.31

$20.65 $20.65

-1.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.81 $49.81

$90.2 $90.2

-44.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 $11.96

$12.94 $12.94

-7.57%

Cappuccino

$4.11 $4.11

$5.60 $5.60

-26.61%

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

$2.65 $2.65

$2.64 $2.64

0.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.27 $2.27

-32.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 $6.97

$6.98 $6.98

-0.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 $5.97

$8.83 $8.83

-32.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.27 $1.27

-7.87%

White Bread (500g)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.80 $3.80

11.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.70 $6.70

$5.30 $5.30

26.42%

Eggs

$4.80 $4.80

$4.76 $4.76

0.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.21 $14.21

$13.96 $13.96

1.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 $9.53

$14.61 $14.61

-34.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.12 $21.12

$18.77 $18.77

12.52%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$5.19 $5.19

-2.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.98 $1.98

6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.17 $7.17

$3.93 $3.93

82.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.59 $6.59

$4.96 $4.96

32.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.76 $2.76

-26.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.76 $2.76

25.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.22 $2.22

13.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.98 $2.98

-19.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.70 $13.70

$14.02 $14.02

-2.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$15.28 $15.28

-0.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.58 $2.58

-30.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.50 $3.50

-3.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.47 $2.47

37.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.49 $31.49

$74.8 $74.8

-57.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 $10.02

$3.34 $3.34

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.43 $1.43

42.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.85 $26.85

$24.32 $24.32

10.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.26 $1.26

-22.22%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.91%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.75%

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

$191 $191

$193 $193

-0.74%

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

$47.36 $47.36

$68.3 $68.3

-30.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 $101

$61.3 $61.3

64.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.81 $46.81

$54.1 $54.1

-13.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.9 $58.9

$27.92 $27.92

111.10%

Cinema Ticket

$18.90 $18.90

$17.74 $17.74

6.54%

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

$1,275 $1,275

$1,652 $1,652

-22.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.7K $32.7K

$31.1K $31.1K

5.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.35 $46.35

$66.1 $66.1

-29.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 $42.55

$51.2 $51.2

-16.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 $92.7

$100 $100

-7.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$141 $141

-7.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 $1,763

$2,446 $2,446

-27.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 $1,369

$1,678 $1,678

-18.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,683 $2,683

$4,717 $4,717

-43.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,569 $2,569

$2,795 $2,795

-8.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,993 $2,993

$4,105 $4,105

-27.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,018 $3,018

$2,650 $2,650

13.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,539 $4,539

$4,866 $4,866

-6.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

6.81

-6.02%

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

Last update for Concord, NH: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Concord, NH

$1.4K 49.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 22.5% $308

Groceries & Markets

Concord, NH

$451 16.3%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 0.4% $1.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Concord, NH

$339 12.3%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 5% $17

Eating Out

Concord, NH

$311 11.3%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 10.4% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Concord, NH

$141 5.1%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 14.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Concord, NH

$85 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 5.9% $5

Getting Around

Concord, NH

$65 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 45.6% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,763 in Concord, NH versus $2,446 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 7% 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 $50.0 in Concord, NH versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $451 in Concord, NH vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Concord, NH

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

02:37 2:37 AM

1 h behind Concord, NH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,695

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Concord, NH Chicago, IL 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Concord, NH
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

Concord, NH vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,762 in Concord, NH, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,142 per month in Concord, NH and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Concord, NH and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,762 in Concord, NH and $3,139 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 $2,762 in Concord, NH to $3,139 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 Concord, NH. 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.