Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elkhorn, WI and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Elkhorn, WI: $2,421 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Elkhorn, WI
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Elkhorn, WI Living Index
153

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

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Elkhorn, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,421

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,421 per month in Elkhorn, WI vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Elkhorn, WI $2,421
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,426 per month in Elkhorn, WI vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Elkhorn, WI $3,426
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $4,430 per month in Elkhorn, WI vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Elkhorn, WI $4,430
Chicago, IL $6,077

Elkhorn, WI is about 24% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Elkhorn, WI and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Elkhorn, WI by 79%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.73 $14.73

$21.58 $21.58

-31.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$88.7 $88.7

-11.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 $11.79

$13.20 $13.20

-10.68%

Cappuccino

$4.16 $4.16

$5.59 $5.59

-25.58%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$2.63 $2.63

-4.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.26 $2.26

-35.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 $3.59

$7.11 $7.11

-49.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 $4.81

$9.23 $9.23

-47.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.28 $1.28

-43.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.84 $3.84

-27.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 $1.84

$5.07 $5.07

-63.71%

Eggs

$4.68 $4.68

$4.84 $4.84

-3.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$14.17 $14.17

-31.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.51 $14.51

$14.61 $14.61

-0.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.25 $12.25

$18.76 $18.76

-34.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$5.19 $5.19

-6.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 $1.26

$2.00 $2.00

-37.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.00 $4.00

-12.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$4.98 $4.98

-14.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.79 $2.79

-5.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.65 $2.65

-20.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.13 $2.13

-9.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.09 $3.09

-36.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.70 $9.70

$16.05 $16.05

-39.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 $11.76

$15.20 $15.20

-22.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.62 $2.62

-3.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.46 $3.46

-28.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.47 $2.47

-17.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.21 $3.21

1.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.39 $1.39

2.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.35 $24.35

$25.02 $25.02

-2.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.24 $1.24

-20.97%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$37.2K $37.2K

-2.77%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.8K $25.8K

1.53%

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

$149 $149

$192 $192

-22.34%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$67.8 $67.8

2.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 $50.5

$60.9 $60.9

-17.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.68 $44.68

$53.6 $53.6

-16.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$9.74 $9.74

$17.80 $17.80

-45.28%

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

$1,545 $1,545

$1,554 $1,554

-0.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.5K $31.5K

$31.4K $31.4K

0.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 $50.5

$67.9 $67.9

-25.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.27 $45.27

$50.8 $50.8

-10.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.2 $66.2

$101 $101

-34.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.8 $94.8

$143 $143

-33.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 $1,615

$2,383 $2,383

-32.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,356 $1,356

$1,712 $1,712

-20.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,491 $2,491

$4,674 $4,674

-46.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 $1,967

$2,738 $2,738

-28.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$4,158 $4,158

-36.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,078 $2,078

$2,691 $2,691

-22.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,841 $3,841

$4,894 $4,894

-21.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.77

-0.30%

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

Last update for Elkhorn, WI: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Elkhorn, WI

$1.4K 56%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 26.2% $356

Groceries & Markets

Elkhorn, WI

$351 14.5%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 28.5% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elkhorn, WI

$269 11.1%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 19.2% $52

Eating Out

Elkhorn, WI

$247 10.2%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 43.1% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Elkhorn, WI

$116 4.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 41.5% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Elkhorn, WI

$64 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 39% $25

Getting Around

Elkhorn, WI

$19 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 414% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,615 in Elkhorn, WI versus $2,383 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 27% 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 $79.0 in Elkhorn, WI versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $451 – making Elkhorn, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elkhorn, WI

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

16:26 4:26 PM

Same time as Elkhorn, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,000

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Elkhorn, WI vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,421 in Elkhorn, WI, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 32% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,632 per month in Elkhorn, WI and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Elkhorn, WI, 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 $79.0 in Elkhorn, WI and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,421 in Elkhorn, WI and $3,185 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 $2,421 in Elkhorn, WI to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Elkhorn, WI. 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.