Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Huntsville, AL and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Huntsville, AL: $2,267 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Huntsville, AL
Learn more

Huntsville, AL Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Huntsville, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,267

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,267 per month in Huntsville, AL vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Huntsville, AL $2,267
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,277 per month in Huntsville, AL vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Huntsville, AL $3,277
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,286 per month in Huntsville, AL vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Huntsville, AL $4,286
Chicago, IL $5,999

Huntsville, AL is about 25% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Huntsville, AL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Huntsville, AL by 67%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.67 $16.67

$20.71 $20.71

-19.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.3 $72.3

$89.2 $89.2

-19.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 $10.82

$13.19 $13.19

-17.97%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$5.66 $5.66

-13.96%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$2.64 $2.64

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.28 $2.28

-17.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 $5.83

$6.87 $6.87

-15.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 $7.72

$8.84 $8.84

-12.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.25 $1.25

-35.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.72 $3.72

-12.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$5.39 $5.39

-51.95%

Eggs

$4.41 $4.41

$4.74 $4.74

-6.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 $9.45

$13.84 $13.84

-31.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.65 $11.65

$14.40 $14.40

-19.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.91 $14.91

$18.38 $18.38

-18.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$5.22 $5.22

-25.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.98 $1.98

-32.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$4.06 $4.06

-18.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$4.97 $4.97

-37.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.67 $2.67

-1.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.66 $2.66

-14.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.24 $2.24

-1.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$3.13 $3.13

-41.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.19 $8.19

$13.82 $13.82

-40.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.86 $13.86

$14.88 $14.88

-6.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.54 $2.54

-35.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.51 $3.51

-9.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.43 $2.43

-58.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.41 $30.41

$73.5 $73.5

-58.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.21 $4.21

$3.18 $3.18

32.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.39 $1.39

33.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.56 $32.56

$25.03 $25.03

30.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.20 $1.20

-23.33%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$35.0K $35.0K

-14.71%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.70%

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

$166 $166

$194 $194

-14.58%

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

$67.5 $67.5

$69.5 $69.5

-2.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.3 $72.3

$61.6 $61.6

17.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.83 $48.83

$47.90 $47.90

1.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.54 $18.54

$27.34 $27.34

-32.19%

Cinema Ticket

$11.82 $11.82

$17.81 $17.81

-33.63%

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

$1,541 $1,541

$1,794 $1,794

-14.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,542 $8,542

$31.9K $31.9K

-73.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.9 $72.9

$67.0 $67.0

8.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 $53.3

$52.1 $52.1

2.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 $88.6

$102 $102

-12.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 $168

$144 $144

16.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,447 $1,447

$2,526 $2,526

-42.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 $1,041

$1,578 $1,578

-34.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,283 $2,283

$4,738 $4,738

-51.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 $1,548

$2,693 $2,693

-42.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,330 $2,330

$4,190 $4,190

-44.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,668 $1,668

$2,768 $2,768

-39.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,351 $4,351

$4,931 $4,931

-11.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

6.81

-2.35%

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

Last update for Huntsville, AL: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Huntsville, AL

$1K 45.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 51.6% $537

Groceries & Markets

Huntsville, AL

$342 15.1%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 30.9% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Huntsville, AL

$306 13.5%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 6.4% $20

Eating Out

Huntsville, AL

$286 12.6%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 20.6% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Huntsville, AL

$172 7.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 4.7% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Huntsville, AL

$72 3.2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 15.2% $11

Getting Around

Huntsville, AL

$48 2.1%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 94.6% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,447 in Huntsville, AL 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 13% 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 $72 in Huntsville, AL versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $342 vs $447 – making Huntsville, AL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Huntsville, AL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

05:21 5:21 AM

Same time as Huntsville, AL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,006

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Huntsville, AL Chicago, IL 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Huntsville, AL
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

Huntsville, AL vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,267 in Huntsville, AL, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Huntsville, AL comes out roughly 25% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,401 per month in Huntsville, AL 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 Huntsville, AL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,447 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Huntsville, AL and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Huntsville, AL, where all-in costs run around $2,267, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Huntsville, AL 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 $2,267 in Huntsville, AL to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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