Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Great Falls, MT and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Great Falls, MT: $2,215 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Great Falls, MT
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Great Falls, MT Living Index
152

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

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Great Falls, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,215

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,215 per month in Great Falls, MT vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Great Falls, MT $2,215
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,051 per month in Great Falls, MT vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Great Falls, MT $3,051
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $3,887 per month in Great Falls, MT vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Great Falls, MT $3,887
Chicago, IL $6,115

Great Falls, MT is about 29% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Great Falls, MT and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Great Falls, MT by 63%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.57 $11.57

$20.65 $20.65

-43.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.01 $38.01

$90.2 $90.2

-57.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 $9.43

$12.94 $12.94

-27.13%

Cappuccino

$4.32 $4.32

$5.60 $5.60

-22.86%

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

$2.29 $2.29

$2.64 $2.64

-13.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.27 $2.27

-13.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$6.98 $6.98

-12.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 $5.92

$8.83 $8.83

-32.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.27 $1.27

-14.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.80 $3.80

-13.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.30 $5.30

-6.23%

Eggs

$3.22 $3.22

$4.76 $4.76

-32.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.73 $16.73

$13.96 $13.96

19.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$14.61 $14.61

-33.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.30 $12.30

$18.77 $18.77

-34.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.19 $5.19

-4.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.98 $1.98

-32.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.93 $3.93

4.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$4.96 $4.96

-56.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.76 $2.76

-11.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.76 $2.76

1.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.22 $2.22

8.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.98 $2.98

13.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.44 $8.44

$14.02 $14.02

-39.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.76 $17.76

$15.28 $15.28

16.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.58 $2.58

-20.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.50 $3.50

24.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.60 $29.60

$74.8 $74.8

-60.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.34 $3.34

91.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.43 $1.43

-3.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 $40.76

$24.32 $24.32

67.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.26 $1.26

-21.43%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

-7.17%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

-5.65%

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

$132 $132

$193 $193

-31.58%

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

$40.11 $40.11

$68.3 $68.3

-41.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.0 $70.0

$61.3 $61.3

14.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.5 $63.5

$54.1 $54.1

17.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 $11.71

$17.74 $17.74

-33.99%

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

$903 $903

$1,652 $1,652

-45.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K $14.2K

$31.1K $31.1K

-54.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.83 $24.83

$66.1 $66.1

-62.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.15 $30.15

$51.2 $51.2

-41.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 $79.9

$100 $100

-20.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.9 $64.9

$141 $141

-53.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 $1,433

$2,446 $2,446

-41.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 $1,131

$1,678 $1,678

-32.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 $2,622

$4,717 $4,717

-44.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 $1,629

$2,795 $2,795

-41.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,209 $2,209

$4,105 $4,105

-46.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,209 $2,209

$2,650 $2,650

-16.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,583 $3,583

$4,866 $4,866

-26.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

6.81

-8.96%

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

Last update for Great Falls, MT: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Great Falls, MT

$1.1K 51.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 48.3% $547

Groceries & Markets

Great Falls, MT

$390 17.6%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 15.3% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Great Falls, MT

$242 10.9%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 33.2% $80

Eating Out

Great Falls, MT

$232 10.5%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 47.9% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Great Falls, MT

$90 4.1%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 79.4% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Great Falls, MT

$87 3.9%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 3.1% $2.7

Getting Around

Great Falls, MT

$43 * 1.9%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 122% $52

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,433 in Great Falls, MT 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 36% 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 $38.00 in Great Falls, MT versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $390 vs $449 – making Great Falls, MT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Great Falls, MT

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

07:16 7:16 AM

08:16 8:16 AM

1 h ahead of Great Falls, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,442

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

Great Falls, MT Chicago, IL 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Great Falls, MT
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

Great Falls, MT vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,215 in Great Falls, MT, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 42% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,322 per month in Great Falls, MT 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 Great Falls, MT, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% 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 $38.00 in Great Falls, MT and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Great Falls, MT, where all-in costs run around $2,215, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Great Falls, MT it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,215 in Great Falls, MT to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. 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 Great Falls, MT. 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.