Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elkhart, IN and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Elkhart, IN: $1,882 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Elkhart, IN
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Elkhart, IN Living Index
147

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

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Elkhart, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,882

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,882 per month in Elkhart, IN vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Elkhart, IN $1,882
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $2,706 per month in Elkhart, IN vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Elkhart, IN $2,706
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $3,530 per month in Elkhart, IN vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Elkhart, IN $3,530
Chicago, IL $5,999

Elkhart, IN is about 38% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Elkhart, IN and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Elkhart, IN by 38%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.89 $9.89

$20.71 $20.71

-52.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.59 $39.59

$89.2 $89.2

-55.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 $9.92

$13.19 $13.19

-24.79%

Cappuccino

$1.79 $1.79

$5.66 $5.66

-68.37%

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

$2.72 $2.72

$2.64 $2.64

3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$2.28 $2.28

-31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 $3.77

$6.87 $6.87

-45.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 $5.54

$8.84 $8.84

-37.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.25 $1.25

-36.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 $1.23

$3.72 $3.72

-66.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$5.39 $5.39

-63.45%

Eggs

$2.78 $2.78

$4.74 $4.74

-41.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$13.84 $13.84

-65.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.61 $16.61

$14.40 $14.40

15.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.70 $15.70

$18.38 $18.38

-14.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$5.22 $5.22

-33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.98 $1.98

-26.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$4.06 $4.06

-62.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$4.97 $4.97

-73.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.45 $0.45

$2.67 $2.67

-83.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.66 $2.66

-19.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.24 $2.24

-33.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.13 $3.13

-6.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.74 $8.74

$13.82 $13.82

-36.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.82 $11.82

$14.88 $14.88

-20.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.54 $2.54

-9.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 $5.08

$3.51 $3.51

44.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.11 $25.11

$73.5 $73.5

-65.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 $9.97

$3.18 $3.18

213.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.39 $1.39

122.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.09 $10.09

$25.03 $25.03

-59.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.20 $1.20

-32.50%

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

$31.0K $31.0K

$35.0K $35.0K

-11.48%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$26.7K $26.7K

-4.52%

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

$234 $234

$194 $194

20.36%

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

$63.3 $63.3

$69.5 $69.5

-8.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 $51.8

$61.6 $61.6

-15.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.77 $14.77

$47.90 $47.90

-69.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.92 $4.92

$27.34 $27.34

-82.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.00 $11.00

$17.81 $17.81

-38.24%

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

$650 $650

$1,794 $1,794

-63.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.94 $34.94

$67.0 $67.0

-47.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.18 $15.18

$52.1 $52.1

-70.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 $67.9

$102 $102

-33.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 $80.7

$144 $144

-43.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 $1,007

$2,526 $2,526

-60.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$864 $864

$1,578 $1,578

-45.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 $1,473

$4,738 $4,738

-68.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,478 $1,478

$2,693 $2,693

-45.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,638 $1,638

$4,190 $4,190

-60.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,640 $1,640

$2,768 $2,768

-40.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,375 $3,375

$4,931 $4,931

-31.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.81

-6.17%

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

Last update for Elkhart, IN: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Elkhart, IN

$864 45.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 82.6% $714

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elkhart, IN

$349 18.6%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 6.8% $24

Groceries & Markets

Elkhart, IN

$314 16.7%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 42.3% $133

Eating Out

Elkhart, IN

$177 9.4%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 94.4% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Elkhart, IN

$89 4.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 83.4% $75

Getting Around

Elkhart, IN

$51 * 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 84.8% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Elkhart, IN

$37 2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 127% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,007 in Elkhart, IN 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 46% 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 $40 in Elkhart, IN versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $314 vs $447 – making Elkhart, IN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elkhart, IN

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

20:23 8:23 PM

1 h behind Elkhart, IN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,748

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Elkhart, IN Chicago, IL 140 km

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Elkhart, IN vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,882 in Elkhart, IN, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Elkhart, IN comes out roughly 38% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,823 per month in Elkhart, IN 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 Elkhart, IN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,007 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Elkhart, IN and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Elkhart, IN, where all-in costs run around $1,882, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Elkhart, IN it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Elkhart, IN – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Elkhart, IN. 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.