Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Herndon, VA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,296 in Herndon, VA, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

157

Cost of Living Index in Herndon, VA
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Herndon, VA Living Index
147

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

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Herndon, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,296

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,296 per month in Herndon, VA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Herndon, VA $3,296
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,928 per month in Herndon, VA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Herndon, VA $4,928
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $6,559 per month in Herndon, VA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Herndon, VA $6,559
Chicago, IL $5,999

Herndon, VA costs about 9% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Herndon, VA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Herndon, VA by 142%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.06 $24.06

$20.71 $20.71

16.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.7 $98.7

$89.2 $89.2

10.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 $11.06

$13.19 $13.19

-16.15%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.66 $5.66

2.12%

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

$3.01 $3.01

$2.64 $2.64

14.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.28 $2.28

10.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.87 $6.87

14.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.92 $8.92

$8.84 $8.84

0.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.25 $1.25

-3.20%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 $4.18

$3.72 $3.72

12.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.39 $5.39

-1.67%

Eggs

$5.17 $5.17

$4.74 $4.74

9.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.93 $16.93

$13.84 $13.84

22.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.90 $15.90

$14.40 $14.40

10.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.78 $18.78

$18.38 $18.38

2.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$5.22 $5.22

8.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.98 $1.98

-4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$4.06 $4.06

16.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$4.97 $4.97

13.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.67 $2.67

4.49%

Onion (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.66 $2.66

44.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.24 $2.24

6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.13 $3.13

-17.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.62 $9.62

$13.82 $13.82

-30.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.30 $16.30

$14.88 $14.88

9.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.54 $2.54

7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.51 $3.51

-20.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.43 $2.43

1.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.55 $30.55

$73.5 $73.5

-58.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.18 $3.18

26.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.39 $1.39

-9.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.39 $25.39

$25.03 $25.03

1.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.20 $1.20

-11.67%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

-7.28%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.7K $26.7K

-3.05%

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

$164 $164

$194 $194

-15.76%

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

$82.4 $82.4

$69.5 $69.5

18.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$61.6 $61.6

13.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 $55.6

$47.90 $47.90

16.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.08 $10.08

$27.34 $27.34

-63.13%

Cinema Ticket

$16.38 $16.38

$17.81 $17.81

-8.03%

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

$1,888 $1,888

$1,794 $1,794

5.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.4K $36.4K

$31.9K $31.9K

13.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 $65.4

$67.0 $67.0

-2.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 $43.45

$52.1 $52.1

-16.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$102 $102

4.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$144 $144

-13.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,135 $2,135

$2,526 $2,526

-15.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,836 $1,836

$1,578 $1,578

16.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,370 $3,370

$4,738 $4,738

-28.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,179 $3,179

$2,693 $2,693

18.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,520 $5,520

$4,931 $4,931

11.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.81

-2.64%

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

Last update for Herndon, VA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Herndon, VA

$1.8K 55.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 14% $258

Groceries & Markets

Herndon, VA

$478 14.5%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 6.4% $30

Eating Out

Herndon, VA

$374 11.4%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 7.8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Herndon, VA

$316 9.6%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 3% $9.4

Clothing & Footwear

Herndon, VA

$153 4.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 7.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Herndon, VA

$88 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 5.4% $4.8

Getting Around

Herndon, VA

$51 1.5%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 84.1% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,135 in Herndon, VA versus $2,526 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 12% higher in Herndon, VA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Herndon, VA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $478 vs $447 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Herndon, VA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

14:46 2:46 PM

13:46 1:46 PM

1 h behind Herndon, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,655

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Herndon, VA Chicago, IL 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Herndon, VA
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

Herndon, VA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,296 in Herndon, VA, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,944 per month in Herndon, VA and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Herndon, VA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,135 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Herndon, VA, 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 $99 in Herndon, VA and $89 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 $3,296 in Herndon, VA and $3,037 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 $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $3,296 in Herndon, VA. 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, Herndon, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.