Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grand Junction, CO and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Grand Junction, CO: $2,664 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Grand Junction, CO
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Grand Junction, CO Living Index
153

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

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Grand Junction, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,664

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,664 per month in Grand Junction, CO vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Grand Junction, CO $2,664
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,763 per month in Grand Junction, CO vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Grand Junction, CO $3,763
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $4,862 per month in Grand Junction, CO vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Grand Junction, CO $4,862
Chicago, IL $6,077

Grand Junction, CO is about 16% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Grand Junction, CO and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Grand Junction, CO by 97%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.90 $19.90

$21.58 $21.58

-7.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 $58.8

$88.7 $88.7

-33.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.73 $13.73

$13.20 $13.20

4.02%

Cappuccino

$5.79 $5.79

$5.59 $5.59

3.58%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$2.63 $2.63

-2.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.26 $2.26

-15.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$7.11 $7.11

-14.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.11 $6.11

$9.23 $9.23

-33.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.28 $1.28

-22.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.84 $3.84

-17.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.18 $6.18

$5.07 $5.07

21.89%

Eggs

$4.59 $4.59

$4.84 $4.84

-5.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.89 $21.89

$14.17 $14.17

54.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 $9.46

$14.61 $14.61

-35.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 $15.30

$18.76 $18.76

-18.44%

Apples (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$5.19 $5.19

2.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.00 $2.00

-25.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.93 $6.93

$4.00 $4.00

73.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$4.98 $4.98

-27.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.79 $2.79

-10.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.65 $2.65

-19.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.13 $2.13

-0.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$3.09 $3.09

-27.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.99 $10.99

$16.05 $16.05

-31.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 $14.93

$15.20 $15.20

-1.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.62 $2.62

-24.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 $4.04

$3.46 $3.46

16.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.70 $3.70

$2.47 $2.47

49.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.32 $44.32

$75.1 $75.1

-40.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.39 $1.39

108.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.24 $1.24

-20.16%

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

$42.3K $42.3K

$37.2K $37.2K

13.67%

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

$37.8K $37.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

46.45%

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

$170 $170

$192 $192

-11.49%

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

$79.9 $79.9

$67.8 $67.8

17.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.4 $71.4

$60.9 $60.9

17.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.43 $36.43

$53.6 $53.6

-32.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 $17.64

$27.90 $27.90

-36.77%

Cinema Ticket

$15.30 $15.30

$17.80 $17.80

-14.04%

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

$1,166 $1,166

$1,554 $1,554

-24.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.03 $49.03

$67.9 $67.9

-27.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.83 $26.83

$50.8 $50.8

-47.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.8 $81.8

$101 $101

-19.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$143 $143

-29.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,623 $1,623

$2,383 $2,383

-31.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,335 $1,335

$1,712 $1,712

-22.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,281 $2,281

$4,674 $4,674

-51.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,978 $1,978

$2,738 $2,738

-27.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,247 $3,247

$4,158 $4,158

-21.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,084 $3,084

$2,691 $2,691

14.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,213 $4,213

$4,894 $4,894

-13.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.91

6.77

2.07%

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

Last update for Grand Junction, CO: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Grand Junction, CO

$1.3K 50.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 28.2% $377

Groceries & Markets

Grand Junction, CO

$420 15.8%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 7.4% $31

Eating Out

Grand Junction, CO

$331 12.4%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 6.8% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grand Junction, CO

$321 12.1%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 0.1% $0.4

Clothing & Footwear

Grand Junction, CO

$117 4.4%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 40.2% $47

Getting Around

Grand Junction, CO

$74 * 2.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 29.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Grand Junction, CO

$67 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 33% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,623 in Grand Junction, CO 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 16% 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 $59.0 in Grand Junction, CO versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $420 vs $451 – making Grand Junction, CO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Grand Junction, CO

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

14:26 2:26 PM

15:26 3:26 PM

1 h ahead of Grand Junction, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,560

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Grand Junction, CO Chicago, IL 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Grand Junction, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,664 in Grand Junction, CO, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 20% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,996 per month in Grand Junction, CO 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 Grand Junction, CO, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Grand Junction, CO and $89.0 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 $2,664 in Grand Junction, CO 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 $2,664 in Grand Junction, CO to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Grand Junction, CO. 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.