Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Eldon, MO and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Eldon, MO: $2,698 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Eldon, MO
Learn more

Eldon, MO Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Eldon, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,698 per month in Eldon, MO vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Eldon, MO $2,698
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,927 per month in Eldon, MO vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Eldon, MO $3,927
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,155 per month in Eldon, MO vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Eldon, MO $5,155
Chicago, IL $6,115

Eldon, MO is about 14% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Eldon, MO and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Eldon, MO by 99%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.78 $17.78

$20.65 $20.65

-13.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.0 $77.0

$90.2 $90.2

-14.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$12.94 $12.94

-5.87%

Cappuccino

$5.02 $5.02

$5.60 $5.60

-10.36%

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

$2.32 $2.32

$2.64 $2.64

-12.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.27 $2.27

-23.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 $5.57

$6.98 $6.98

-20.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.98 $6.98

$8.83 $8.83

-20.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.27 $1.27

-3.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.80 $3.80

-1.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.75 $5.75

$5.30 $5.30

8.49%

Eggs

$3.96 $3.96

$4.76 $4.76

-16.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 $12.97

$13.96 $13.96

-7.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.80 $15.80

$14.61 $14.61

8.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.82 $20.82

$18.77 $18.77

10.92%

Apples (1kg)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.19 $5.19

57.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.98 $1.98

21.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$3.93 $3.93

40.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.96 $4.96

4.03%

Potato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.76 $2.76

51.81%

Onion (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$2.76 $2.76

84.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.22 $2.22

25.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.98 $2.98

-6.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.87 $7.87

$14.02 $14.02

-43.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$15.28 $15.28

-2.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.58 $2.58

13.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.50 $3.50

-6.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.47 $2.47

-15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.34 $3.34

4.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.43 $1.43

6.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.82 $39.82

$24.32 $24.32

63.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.26 $1.26

-26.19%

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

$29.0K $29.0K

$35.0K $35.0K

-17.09%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

-1.48%

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

$243 $243

$193 $193

26.04%

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

$54.9 $54.9

$68.3 $68.3

-19.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.6 $75.6

$61.3 $61.3

23.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.10 $45.10

$54.1 $54.1

-16.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$14.05 $14.05

$17.74 $17.74

-20.80%

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

$1,416 $1,416

$1,652 $1,652

-14.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$31.1K $31.1K

-24.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 $60.1

$66.1 $66.1

-9.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.65 $40.65

$51.2 $51.2

-20.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 $79.8

$100 $100

-20.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$141 $141

-16.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 $1,199

$2,446 $2,446

-50.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 $1,311

$1,678 $1,678

-21.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 $2,537

$4,717 $4,717

-46.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,125 $2,125

$2,795 $2,795

-23.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,470 $2,470

$4,105 $4,105

-39.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,621 $2,621

$2,650 $2,650

-1.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.81

-1.32%

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

Last update for Eldon, MO: 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

Eldon, MO

$1.3K 48.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 28% $367

Groceries & Markets

Eldon, MO

$490 18.2%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 8.3% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Eldon, MO

$373 13.8%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 13.7% $51

Eating Out

Eldon, MO

$297 11%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 15.6% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Eldon, MO

$134 5%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 20% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Eldon, MO

$73 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 22.4% $16

Getting Around

Eldon, MO

$19 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 388% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,199 in Eldon, MO 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 $77.0 in Eldon, MO versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $490 in Eldon, MO vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Eldon, MO

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

04:27 4:27 AM

Same time as Eldon, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,600

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

Eldon, MO Chicago, IL 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Eldon, MO
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

Eldon, MO vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,698 in Eldon, MO, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 16% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,048 per month in Eldon, MO 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 Eldon, MO, 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 $77.0 in Eldon, MO and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Eldon, MO, where all-in costs run around $2,698, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Eldon, MO 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 $2,698 in Eldon, MO to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Eldon, MO. 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.