Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairbanks, AK and Chicago, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Fairbanks, AK and in Chicago, IL: $3,000 and $3,139 a month, rent and utilities included.

145

Cost of Living Index in Fairbanks, AK
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Fairbanks, AK Living Index
152

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

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Fairbanks, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$3,000

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,000 per month in Fairbanks, AK vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Fairbanks, AK $3,000
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,408 per month in Fairbanks, AK vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Fairbanks, AK $4,408
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,816 per month in Fairbanks, AK vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Fairbanks, AK $5,816
Chicago, IL $6,115

Fairbanks, AK is about 4% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.10 $25.10

$20.65 $20.65

21.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.1 $99.1

$90.2 $90.2

9.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.27 $15.27

$12.94 $12.94

18.01%

Cappuccino

$6.07 $6.07

$5.60 $5.60

8.39%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$2.64 $2.64

1.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.27 $2.27

-10.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.83 $6.83

$6.98 $6.98

-2.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$8.83 $8.83

14.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.27 $1.27

-11.02%

White Bread (500g)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.80 $3.80

41.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$5.30 $5.30

-9.81%

Eggs

$4.36 $4.36

$4.76 $4.76

-8.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.93 $21.93

$13.96 $13.96

57.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 $8.66

$14.61 $14.61

-40.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.87 $20.87

$18.77 $18.77

11.19%

Apples (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$5.19 $5.19

45.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.98 $1.98

9.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.03 $6.03

$3.93 $3.93

53.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.24 $6.24

$4.96 $4.96

25.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.76 $2.76

29.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.76 $2.76

33.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.22 $2.22

25.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.98 $2.98

-32.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.10 $12.10

$14.02 $14.02

-13.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.20 $12.20

$15.28 $15.28

-20.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.58 $2.58

-31.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.47 $2.47

-38.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.60 $40.60

$74.8 $74.8

-45.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.34 $3.34

7.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.43 $1.43

51.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.97 $44.97

$24.32 $24.32

84.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.26 $1.26

1.59%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$35.0K $35.0K

-25.88%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

-5.22%

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

$212 $212

$193 $193

10.17%

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

$61.3 $61.3

$68.3 $68.3

-10.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$139 $139

$61.3 $61.3

127.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.0 $98.0

$54.1 $54.1

81.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$18.10 $18.10

$17.74 $17.74

2.03%

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

$1,845 $1,845

$1,652 $1,652

11.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 $59.4

$66.1 $66.1

-10.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.78 $39.78

$51.2 $51.2

-22.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$100 $100

20.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$141 $141

-15.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 $1,612

$2,446 $2,446

-34.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 $1,381

$1,678 $1,678

-17.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,580 $2,580

$4,717 $4,717

-45.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,230 $2,230

$2,795 $2,795

-20.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,244 $2,244

$4,105 $4,105

-45.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,000 $2,000

$2,650 $2,650

-24.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,941 $3,941

$4,866 $4,866

-18.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.71

6.81

-1.47%

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

Last update for Fairbanks, AK: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fairbanks, AK

$1.4K 46%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 21.5% $297

Groceries & Markets

Fairbanks, AK

$466 * 15.5%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 3.6% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fairbanks, AK

$413 13.8%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 22% $91

Eating Out

Fairbanks, AK

$393 13.1%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 12.5% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Fairbanks, AK

$152 5.1%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 5.9% $8.9

Sport & Entertainment

Fairbanks, AK

$134 4.5%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 33.2% $45

Getting Around

Fairbanks, AK

$61 2%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 55.8% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,612 in Fairbanks, AK 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.

Salaries run about 23% 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 $99.0 in Fairbanks, AK versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $466 vs $449 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fairbanks, AK

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

07:02 7:02 AM

10:02 10:02 AM

3 h ahead of Fairbanks, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,515

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

Fairbanks, AK Chicago, IL 4,490 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Fairbanks, AK
Chicago, IL

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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

Fairbanks, AK vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,000 in Fairbanks, AK, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,500 per month in Fairbanks, AK 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 Fairbanks, AK, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Fairbanks, AK and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,000 in Fairbanks, AK 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 $3,000 in Fairbanks, AK to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Fairbanks, AK. 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.