Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Crystal Lake, IL and Chicago, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Crystal Lake, IL and in Chicago, IL: $2,999 and $3,139 a month, rent and utilities included.

146

Cost of Living Index in Crystal Lake, IL
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Crystal Lake, IL Living Index
152

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

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Crystal Lake, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,999

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,999 per month in Crystal Lake, IL vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Crystal Lake, IL $2,999
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,051 per month in Crystal Lake, IL vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Crystal Lake, IL $4,051
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,103 per month in Crystal Lake, IL vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Crystal Lake, IL $5,103
Chicago, IL $6,115

Crystal Lake, IL is about 4% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Crystal Lake, IL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Crystal Lake, IL by 121%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 $19.75

$20.65 $20.65

-4.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 $66.9

$90.2 $90.2

-25.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.93 $12.93

$12.94 $12.94

-0.08%

Cappuccino

$5.67 $5.67

$5.60 $5.60

1.25%

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

$3.07 $3.07

$2.64 $2.64

16.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.27 $2.27

7.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 $7.10

$6.98 $6.98

1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.04 $8.04

$8.83 $8.83

-8.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.27 $1.27

-26.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.80 $3.80

-9.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.30 $5.30

-18.11%

Eggs

$3.72 $3.72

$4.76 $4.76

-21.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.83 $14.83

$13.96 $13.96

6.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.00 $13.00

$14.61 $14.61

-11.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.90 $19.90

$18.77 $18.77

6.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$5.19 $5.19

-10.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.98 $1.98

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.93 $3.93

36.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.96 $4.96

-2.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.76 $2.76

3.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.76 $2.76

7.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.22 $2.22

-3.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.98 $2.98

-19.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.81 $10.81

$14.02 $14.02

-22.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.49 $15.49

$15.28 $15.28

1.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.58 $2.58

3.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.50 $3.50

30.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.47 $2.47

-9.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.34 $3.34

17.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.43 $1.43

36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.13 $44.13

$24.32 $24.32

81.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.26 $1.26

-21.43%

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

$30.7K $30.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

-12.33%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.1K $26.1K

0.83%

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

$273 $273

$193 $193

41.65%

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

$52.1 $52.1

$68.3 $68.3

-23.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.5 $81.5

$61.3 $61.3

32.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.73 $36.73

$54.1 $54.1

-32.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$14.86 $14.86

$17.74 $17.74

-16.23%

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

$1,706 $1,706

$1,652 $1,652

3.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$31.1K $31.1K

-25.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 $65.1

$66.1 $66.1

-1.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

-0.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$100 $100

5.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$141 $141

-15.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,622 $1,622

$2,446 $2,446

-33.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 $1,582

$1,678 $1,678

-5.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,470 $2,470

$4,717 $4,717

-47.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,127 $2,127

$2,795 $2,795

-23.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,626 $2,626

$4,105 $4,105

-36.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,034 $2,034

$2,650 $2,650

-23.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.81

-1.76%

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

Last update for Crystal Lake, IL: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Crystal Lake, IL

$1.6K 52.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 6.1% $96

Groceries & Markets

Crystal Lake, IL

$429 14.3%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 4.7% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Crystal Lake, IL

$406 13.6%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 20.7% $84

Eating Out

Crystal Lake, IL

$338 11.3%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 1.5% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Crystal Lake, IL

$154 5.1%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 4.8% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Crystal Lake, IL

$66 2.2%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 34.8% $23

Getting Around

Crystal Lake, IL

$23 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 322% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,622 in Crystal Lake, IL 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 $67.0 in Crystal Lake, IL versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $429 vs $449 – making Crystal Lake, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Crystal Lake, IL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

Same time as Crystal Lake, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,269

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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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

Crystal Lake, IL vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,999 in Crystal Lake, IL, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,498 per month in Crystal Lake, IL 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 Crystal Lake, 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 $67.0 in Crystal Lake, IL 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 5% 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.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,999 in Crystal Lake, IL 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 $2,999 in Crystal Lake, IL 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 Crystal Lake, 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.