Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham, NC and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Durham, NC: $2,423 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Durham, NC
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Durham, NC Living Index
147

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

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Durham, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,423

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,423 per month in Durham, NC vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Durham, NC $2,423
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,700 per month in Durham, NC vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Durham, NC $3,700
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,978 per month in Durham, NC vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Durham, NC $4,978
Chicago, IL $5,999

Durham, NC is about 20% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Durham, NC and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Durham, NC by 78%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.31 $15.31

$20.71 $20.71

-26.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 $106

$89.2 $89.2

18.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 $9.96

$13.19 $13.19

-24.49%

Cappuccino

$4.79 $4.79

$5.66 $5.66

-15.37%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$2.64 $2.64

14.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.28 $2.28

-7.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.18 $6.18

$6.87 $6.87

-10.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$8.84 $8.84

-19.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.25 $1.25

-9.60%

White Bread (500g)

$4.70 $4.70

$3.72 $3.72

26.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.39 $5.39

-16.14%

Eggs

$3.45 $3.45

$4.74 $4.74

-27.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.01 $19.01

$13.84 $13.84

37.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.98 $16.98

$14.40 $14.40

17.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.05 $17.05

$18.38 $18.38

-7.24%

Apples (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$5.22 $5.22

8.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.98 $1.98

-7.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$4.06 $4.06

-3.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$4.97 $4.97

-7.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.67 $2.67

-14.98%

Onion (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.66 $2.66

46.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.24 $2.24

22.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.13 $3.13

-37.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.57 $8.57

$13.82 $13.82

-37.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 $15.23

$14.88 $14.88

2.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.54 $2.54

-40.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.51 $3.51

14.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.18 $3.18

-38.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 $0.60

$1.39 $1.39

-56.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.20 $1.20

-15.83%

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

$30.9K $30.9K

$35.0K $35.0K

-11.80%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.36%

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

$226 $226

$194 $194

16.34%

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

$56.8 $56.8

$69.5 $69.5

-18.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 $71.5

$61.6 $61.6

15.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 $51.5

$47.90 $47.90

7.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.36 $12.36

$17.81 $17.81

-30.60%

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

$1,567 $1,567

$1,794 $1,794

-12.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.29 $45.29

$67.0 $67.0

-32.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 $35.33

$52.1 $52.1

-32.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 $90.7

$102 $102

-10.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$144 $144

-7.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,502 $1,502

$2,526 $2,526

-40.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 $1,118

$1,578 $1,578

-29.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 $2,272

$4,738 $4,738

-52.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 $1,970

$2,693 $2,693

-26.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,463 $3,463

$4,190 $4,190

-17.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,420 $2,420

$2,768 $2,768

-12.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,786 $4,786

$4,931 $4,931

-2.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

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

Last update for Durham, NC: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durham, NC

$1.1K 46.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 41.2% $460

Groceries & Markets

Durham, NC

$456 18.8%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 1.9% $8.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durham, NC

$355 14.6%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 8.2% $29

Eating Out

Durham, NC

$276 11.4%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 25.2% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Durham, NC

$137 5.7%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 19.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Durham, NC

$76 3.2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 9.6% $7.3

Getting Around

Durham, NC

$5 * 0.2%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 1779% $88

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,502 in Durham, NC 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.

Salaries run about 3% 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 $106 in Durham, NC versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $456 vs $447 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Durham, NC

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

05:44 5:44 AM

04:44 4:44 AM

1 h behind Durham, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

283,506

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Durham, NC Chicago, IL 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Durham, NC
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

Durham, NC vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,423 in Durham, NC, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Durham, NC comes out roughly 20% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,634 per month in Durham, NC 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 Durham, NC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,502 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Kindergarten costs $1,567 per month in Durham, NC and $1,794 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,423 in Durham, NC and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. That makes Durham, NC about 20% cheaper.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,423 in Durham, NC and $3,037 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 $2,423 in Durham, NC to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Durham, NC. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.