Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Cookeville, TN: $2,393 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Cookeville, TN
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Cookeville, TN Living Index
152

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

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Cookeville, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,393

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,393 per month in Cookeville, TN vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Cookeville, TN $2,393
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,623 per month in Cookeville, TN vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Cookeville, TN $3,623
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,853 per month in Cookeville, TN vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Cookeville, TN $4,853
Chicago, IL $6,115

Cookeville, TN is about 24% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cookeville, TN and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Cookeville, TN by 77%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.38 $21.38

$20.65 $20.65

3.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 $50.8

$90.2 $90.2

-43.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 $8.01

$12.94 $12.94

-38.10%

Cappuccino

$3.94 $3.94

$5.60 $5.60

-29.64%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$2.64 $2.64

0.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.27 $2.27

-22.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$6.98 $6.98

-27.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 $4.57

$8.83 $8.83

-48.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.27 $1.27

-37.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.80 $3.80

-27.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.68 $7.68

$5.30 $5.30

44.91%

Eggs

$3.36 $3.36

$4.76 $4.76

-29.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.40 $19.40

$13.96 $13.96

38.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 $9.05

$14.61 $14.61

-38.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 $17.68

$18.77 $18.77

-5.81%

Apples (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$5.19 $5.19

86.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.98 $1.98

9.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.93 $3.93

-45.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$4.96 $4.96

-55.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.76 $2.76

-18.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.76 $2.76

-22.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.22 $2.22

29.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.98 $2.98

-1.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.08 $9.08

$14.02 $14.02

-35.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.38 $12.38

$15.28 $15.28

-18.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.58 $2.58

-31.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 $7.95

$3.50 $3.50

127.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.84 $5.84

$3.34 $3.34

74.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 $0.64

$1.43 $1.43

-55.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.26 $1.26

-36.51%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.05%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$26.1K $26.1K

4.83%

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

$322 $322

$193 $193

67.02%

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

$45.81 $45.81

$68.3 $68.3

-32.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.7 $85.7

$61.3 $61.3

39.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.21 $35.21

$54.1 $54.1

-34.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.96 $37.96

$27.92 $27.92

35.96%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 $14.15

$17.74 $17.74

-20.24%

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

$827 $827

$1,652 $1,652

-49.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.50 $44.50

$66.1 $66.1

-32.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.06 $45.06

$51.2 $51.2

-12.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 $133

$100 $100

32.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$141 $141

-1.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 $1,115

$2,446 $2,446

-54.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 $986

$1,678 $1,678

-41.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,520 $2,520

$4,717 $4,717

-46.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 $1,987

$2,795 $2,795

-28.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,242 $2,242

$4,105 $4,105

-45.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,254 $2,254

$2,650 $2,650

-14.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.81

-2.79%

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

Last update for Cookeville, TN: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cookeville, TN

$986 41.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 70.2% $692

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cookeville, TN

$453 18.9%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 28.9% $131

Groceries & Markets

Cookeville, TN

$424 17.7%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 5.9% $25

Eating Out

Cookeville, TN

$294 12.3%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 16.6% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Cookeville, TN

$163 6.8%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 0.9% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Cookeville, TN

$64 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 41.1% $26

Getting Around

Cookeville, TN

$9 * 0.4%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 956% $86

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,115 in Cookeville, TN 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Cookeville, TN versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $424 vs $449 – making Cookeville, TN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cookeville, TN

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

06:41 6:41 AM

Same time as Cookeville, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,340

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

Cookeville, TN Chicago, IL 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cookeville, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,393 in Cookeville, TN, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,590 per month in Cookeville, TN 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 Cookeville, TN, 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 $51.0 in Cookeville, TN and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cookeville, TN, where all-in costs run around $2,393, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Cookeville, TN it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,393 in Cookeville, TN 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 Cookeville, TN. 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.