Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Idaho Falls, ID and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Idaho Falls, ID: $2,315 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Idaho Falls, ID
Learn more

Idaho Falls, ID Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Idaho Falls, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,315

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,315 per month in Idaho Falls, ID vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Idaho Falls, ID $2,315
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,380 per month in Idaho Falls, ID vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Idaho Falls, ID $3,380
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,446 per month in Idaho Falls, ID vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Idaho Falls, ID $4,446
Chicago, IL $5,999

Idaho Falls, ID is about 24% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Idaho Falls, ID and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Idaho Falls, ID by 70%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.72 $17.72

$20.71 $20.71

-14.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.9 $51.9

$89.2 $89.2

-41.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.09 $10.09

$13.19 $13.19

-23.50%

Cappuccino

$5.02 $5.02

$5.66 $5.66

-11.31%

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

$2.27 $2.27

$2.64 $2.64

-14.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 $1.55

$2.28 $2.28

-32.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.11 $4.11

$6.87 $6.87

-40.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 $7.10

$8.84 $8.84

-19.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.25 $1.25

-42.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 $3.92

$3.72 $3.72

5.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$5.39 $5.39

-44.90%

Eggs

$4.12 $4.12

$4.74 $4.74

-13.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.68 $11.68

$13.84 $13.84

-15.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$14.40 $14.40

-55.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.79 $9.79

$18.38 $18.38

-46.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$5.22 $5.22

-58.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.98 $1.98

-36.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$4.06 $4.06

-49.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$4.97 $4.97

-56.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.67 $2.67

-37.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.66 $2.66

-7.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.24 $2.24

-16.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$3.13 $3.13

-39.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.36 $10.36

$13.82 $13.82

-25.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.34 $7.34

$14.88 $14.88

-50.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.54 $2.54

-30.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$3.51 $3.51

-56.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.43 $2.43

25.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.18 $3.18

-20.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.39 $1.39

69.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.09 $25.09

$25.03 $25.03

0.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.20 $1.20

-7.50%

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

$34.3K $34.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

-2.16%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.98%

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

$173 $173

$194 $194

-11.17%

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

$52.7 $52.7

$69.5 $69.5

-24.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.9 $63.9

$61.6 $61.6

3.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.67 $38.67

$47.90 $47.90

-19.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 $11.42

$17.81 $17.81

-35.88%

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

$957 $957

$1,794 $1,794

-46.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K $20.6K

$31.9K $31.9K

-35.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.75 $41.75

$67.0 $67.0

-37.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.87 $44.87

$52.1 $52.1

-13.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 $70.2

$102 $102

-30.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 $96.4

$144 $144

-32.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 $1,323

$2,526 $2,526

-47.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 $1,266

$1,578 $1,578

-19.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,073 $2,073

$4,738 $4,738

-56.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 $2,207

$2,693 $2,693

-18.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,923 $1,923

$4,190 $4,190

-54.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,946 $1,946

$2,768 $2,768

-29.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,499 $3,499

$4,931 $4,931

-29.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.12

6.81

-10.13%

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

Last update for Idaho Falls, ID: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Idaho Falls, ID

$1.3K 54.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 24.7% $312

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Idaho Falls, ID

$289 12.5%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 12.5% $36

Eating Out

Idaho Falls, ID

$282 12.2%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 22.2% $63

Groceries & Markets

Idaho Falls, ID

$275 11.9%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 62.5% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Idaho Falls, ID

$114 4.9%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 43.9% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Idaho Falls, ID

$62 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 35.8% $22

Getting Around

Idaho Falls, ID

$26 * 1.1%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 253% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,323 in Idaho Falls, ID 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 41% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Idaho Falls, ID versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $447 – making Idaho Falls, ID the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Idaho Falls, ID

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

12:06 12:06 PM

13:06 1:06 PM

1 h ahead of Idaho Falls, ID

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

61,459

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Idaho Falls, ID Chicago, IL 2,000 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Idaho Falls, ID
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

Idaho Falls, ID vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,315 in Idaho Falls, ID, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,472 per month in Idaho Falls, ID 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 Idaho Falls, ID, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,323 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Idaho Falls, ID and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 62% 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.

Families tend to lean toward Idaho Falls, ID – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Idaho Falls, ID. 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.