Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Farmington, NM and Chicago, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Farmington, NM and in Chicago, IL: $3,273 and $3,139 a month, rent and utilities included.

158

Cost of Living Index in Farmington, NM
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Farmington, NM Living Index
152

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

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Farmington, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$3,273

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,273 per month in Farmington, NM vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Farmington, NM $3,273
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,363 per month in Farmington, NM vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Farmington, NM $4,363
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,453 per month in Farmington, NM vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Farmington, NM $5,453
Chicago, IL $6,115

Farmington, NM costs about 4% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Farmington, NM and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Farmington, NM by 142%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.90 $19.90

$20.65 $20.65

-3.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.34 $49.34

$90.2 $90.2

-45.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 $12.01

$12.94 $12.94

-7.19%

Cappuccino

$6.06 $6.06

$5.60 $5.60

8.21%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$2.64 $2.64

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.27 $2.27

-26.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 $7.90

$6.98 $6.98

13.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.34 $13.34

$8.83 $8.83

51.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.27 $1.27

-22.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.80 $3.80

-10.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$5.30 $5.30

-16.42%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$4.76 $4.76

-13.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.31 $7.31

$13.96 $13.96

-47.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.09 $13.09

$14.61 $14.61

-10.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.86 $16.86

$18.77 $18.77

-10.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$5.19 $5.19

-41.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.98 $1.98

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.93 $3.93

6.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$4.96 $4.96

-3.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.76 $2.76

2.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.76 $2.76

5.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.22 $2.22

-2.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.98 $2.98

-23.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.21 $10.21

$14.02 $14.02

-27.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.28 $15.28

-0.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.58 $2.58

-18.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.50 $3.50

-10.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.47 $2.47

-18.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.47 $29.47

$74.8 $74.8

-60.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.34 $3.34

-18.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.43 $1.43

37.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 $27.39

$24.32 $24.32

12.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.26 $1.26

-12.70%

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

$31.1K $31.1K

$35.0K $35.0K

-11.17%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

-5.00%

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

$397 $397

$193 $193

106.16%

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

$57.7 $57.7

$68.3 $68.3

-15.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$115 $115

$61.3 $61.3

87.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 $42.26

$54.1 $54.1

-21.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$12.99 $12.99

$17.74 $17.74

-26.78%

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

$1,444 $1,444

$1,652 $1,652

-12.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K $21.4K

$31.1K $31.1K

-31.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 $53.6

$66.1 $66.1

-18.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.64 $40.64

$51.2 $51.2

-20.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 $87.2

$100 $100

-12.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$141 $141

-18.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 $1,715

$2,446 $2,446

-29.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 $1,721

$1,678 $1,678

2.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 $2,577

$4,717 $4,717

-45.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,472 $2,472

$2,795 $2,795

-11.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,147 $2,147

$4,105 $4,105

-47.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,140 $2,140

$2,650 $2,650

-19.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,129 $7,129

$4,866 $4,866

46.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.81

-3.52%

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

Last update for Farmington, NM: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Farmington, NM

$1.7K 52.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 2.5% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Farmington, NM

$570 17.4%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 43.4% $247

Groceries & Markets

Farmington, NM

$379 11.6%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 18.5% $70

Eating Out

Farmington, NM

$351 10.7%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 2% $7.1

Clothing & Footwear

Farmington, NM

$134 4.1%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 20.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Farmington, NM

$68 2.1%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 31.3% $21

Getting Around

Farmington, NM

$50 1.5%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 89.9% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,715 in Farmington, NM 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 47% higher in Farmington, NM, 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 $49.00 in Farmington, NM versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $379 vs $449 – making Farmington, NM the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Farmington, NM

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

21:40 9:40 PM

22:40 10:40 PM

1 h ahead of Farmington, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,207

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

Farmington, NM Chicago, IL 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Farmington, NM
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

Farmington, NM vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,273 in Farmington, NM, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 4% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,909 per month in Farmington, NM 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 Chicago, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Farmington, NM – 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 $49.00 in Farmington, NM and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,273 in Farmington, NM 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 $3,139 in Chicago, IL to $3,273 in Farmington, NM. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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