Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hutchinson, KS and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Hutchinson, KS: $1,499 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Hutchinson, KS
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Hutchinson, KS Living Index
152

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

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Hutchinson, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,499

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,499 per month in Hutchinson, KS vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Hutchinson, KS $1,499
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $2,230 per month in Hutchinson, KS vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Hutchinson, KS $2,230
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $2,961 per month in Hutchinson, KS vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Hutchinson, KS $2,961
Chicago, IL $6,115

Hutchinson, KS is about 52% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hutchinson, KS and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Hutchinson, KS by 11%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.18 $8.18

$20.65 $20.65

-60.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 $50.2

$90.2 $90.2

-44.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 $8.13

$12.94 $12.94

-37.17%

Cappuccino

$5.06 $5.06

$5.60 $5.60

-9.64%

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

$2.05 $2.05

$2.64 $2.64

-22.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.27 $2.27

-56.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 $6.13

$6.98 $6.98

-12.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$8.83 $8.83

-66.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.27 $1.27

-26.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 $1.83

$3.80 $3.80

-51.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$5.30 $5.30

-42.83%

Eggs

$6.07 $6.07

$4.76 $4.76

27.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.59 $11.59

$13.96 $13.96

-16.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.47 $7.47

$14.61 $14.61

-48.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.92 $7.92

$18.77 $18.77

-57.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$5.19 $5.19

-43.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.98 $1.98

-44.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$3.93 $3.93

-44.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$4.96 $4.96

-34.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.76 $2.76

-19.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.76 $2.76

-18.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.22 $2.22

-54.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.98 $2.98

-66.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.07 $7.07

$14.02 $14.02

-49.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 $11.95

$15.28 $15.28

-21.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.58 $2.58

-28.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.50 $3.50

-12.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.47 $2.47

-17.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.34 $3.34

-18.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.43 $1.43

-11.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.78 $29.78

$24.32 $24.32

22.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.26 $1.26

-27.78%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$35.0K $35.0K

-22.68%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.1K $26.1K

1.60%

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

$177 $177

$193 $193

-8.24%

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

$29.40 $29.40

$68.3 $68.3

-56.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.39 $38.39

$61.3 $61.3

-37.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.67 $44.67

$54.1 $54.1

-17.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$14.89 $14.89

$17.74 $17.74

-16.07%

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

$1,557 $1,557

$1,652 $1,652

-5.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K $24.1K

$31.1K $31.1K

-22.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.31 $34.31

$66.1 $66.1

-48.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.47 $41.47

$51.2 $51.2

-19.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$100 $100

8.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$141 $141

-0.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 $746

$2,446 $2,446

-69.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 $545

$1,678 $1,678

-67.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,511 $2,511

$4,717 $4,717

-46.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 $910

$2,795 $2,795

-67.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,437 $2,437

$4,105 $4,105

-40.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,636 $2,636

$2,650 $2,650

-0.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,040 $3,040

$4,866 $4,866

-37.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

-41.26%

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

Last update for Hutchinson, KS: 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

Hutchinson, KS

$545 36.4%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 208% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Hutchinson, KS

$272 18.2%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 65% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hutchinson, KS

$245 16.3%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 31.7% $78

Eating Out

Hutchinson, KS

$199 13.3%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 72.5% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Hutchinson, KS

$146 9.7%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 10.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Hutchinson, KS

$74 5%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 20.3% $15

Getting Around

Hutchinson, KS

$17 * 1.2%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 452% $78

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $746 in Hutchinson, KS 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 60% 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 $50.0 in Hutchinson, KS versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $449 – making Hutchinson, KS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hutchinson, KS

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

Same time as Hutchinson, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,085

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hutchinson, KS Chicago, IL 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Hutchinson, KS
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

Hutchinson, KS vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,499 in Hutchinson, KS, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 109% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,248 per month in Hutchinson, KS 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 Hutchinson, KS, 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 $50.0 in Hutchinson, KS and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 65% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Hutchinson, KS, where all-in costs run around $1,499, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Hutchinson, KS 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 $1,499 in Hutchinson, KS 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 Hutchinson, KS. 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.