Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Golden, CO and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,139 a month against $3,466 in Golden, CO, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Golden, CO outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

167

Cost of Living Index in Golden, CO
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Golden, CO Living Index
152

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

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Golden, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,466

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,466 per month in Golden, CO vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Golden, CO $3,466
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,184 per month in Golden, CO vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Golden, CO $3,184
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $2,903 per month in Golden, CO vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Golden, CO $2,903
Chicago, IL $6,115

Golden, CO costs about 10% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Golden, CO and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Golden, CO by 156%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$20.65 $20.65

-1.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.4 $66.4

$90.2 $90.2

-26.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 $11.87

$12.94 $12.94

-8.27%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$5.60 $5.60

-3.93%

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

$2.70 $2.70

$2.64 $2.64

2.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.27 $2.27

-13.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 $5.89

$6.98 $6.98

-15.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 $7.21

$8.83 $8.83

-18.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.27 $1.27

-28.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.80 $3.80

-13.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.30 $5.30

-18.11%

Eggs

$3.02 $3.02

$4.76 $4.76

-36.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 $15.08

$13.96 $13.96

8.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.68 $13.68

$14.61 $14.61

-6.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.39 $17.39

$18.77 $18.77

-7.35%

Apples (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$5.19 $5.19

5.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.98 $1.98

-32.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$3.93 $3.93

14.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$4.96 $4.96

-6.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.76 $2.76

-12.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.76 $2.76

-5.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.22 $2.22

8.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.98 $2.98

-33.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.09 $10.09

$14.02 $14.02

-28.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 $19.31

$15.28 $15.28

26.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.58 $2.58

28.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 $4.73

$3.50 $3.50

35.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.47 $2.47

8.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.34 $3.34

13.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.43 $1.43

-0.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.66 $24.66

$24.32 $24.32

1.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.26 $1.26

-19.05%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$35.0K $35.0K

-20.50%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

3.02%

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

$200 $200

$193 $193

3.67%

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

$93.5 $93.5

$68.3 $68.3

37.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 $70.9

$61.3 $61.3

15.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$54.1 $54.1

11.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$15.20 $15.20

$17.74 $17.74

-14.32%

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

$1,520 $1,520

$1,652 $1,652

-7.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K $24.8K

$31.1K $31.1K

-20.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 $57.7

$66.1 $66.1

-12.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.77 $24.77

$51.2 $51.2

-51.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 $82.3

$100 $100

-17.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$141 $141

-26.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,266 $2,266

$2,446 $2,446

-7.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 $2,119

$1,678 $1,678

26.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

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 Golden, CO: 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

Golden, CO

$2.1K 61.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 20.8% $442

Groceries & Markets

Golden, CO

$424 12.2%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 6% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Golden, CO

$364 10.5%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 11.5% $42

Eating Out

Golden, CO

$326 9.4%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 5.5% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Golden, CO

$121 3.5%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 33.5% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Golden, CO

$91 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 1.3% $1.2

Getting Around

Golden, CO

$22 * 0.6%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 339% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,266 in Golden, CO 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 $66.0 in Golden, CO versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $424 vs $449 – making Golden, CO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Golden, CO

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

17:46 5:46 PM

18:46 6:46 PM

1 h ahead of Golden, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,399

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

Golden, CO Chicago, IL 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Golden, CO
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

Golden, CO vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,466 in Golden, CO, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,199 per month in Golden, CO 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Golden, CO 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 6% cheaper in Golden, CO – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,466 in Golden, CO 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 $3,466 in Golden, CO. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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