Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iowa City, IA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Iowa City, IA: $2,251 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Iowa City, IA
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Iowa City, IA Living Index
147

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

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Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,251

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,251 per month in Iowa City, IA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Iowa City, IA $2,251
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,264 per month in Iowa City, IA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Iowa City, IA $3,264
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,276 per month in Iowa City, IA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Iowa City, IA $4,276
Chicago, IL $5,999

Iowa City, IA is about 26% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Iowa City, IA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Iowa City, IA by 65%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.12 $15.12

$20.71 $20.71

-26.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.3 $67.3

$89.2 $89.2

-24.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 $9.03

$13.19 $13.19

-31.54%

Cappuccino

$5.54 $5.54

$5.66 $5.66

-2.12%

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

$2.77 $2.77

$2.64 $2.64

4.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.28 $2.28

-2.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 $4.86

$6.87 $6.87

-29.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$8.84 $8.84

-19.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.25 $1.25

-26.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.72 $3.72

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$5.39 $5.39

-62.52%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$4.74 $4.74

-21.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 $9.43

$13.84 $13.84

-31.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 $10.64

$14.40 $14.40

-26.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.95 $19.95

$18.38 $18.38

8.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$5.22 $5.22

-35.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.98 $1.98

-38.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$4.06 $4.06

-34.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$4.97 $4.97

-2.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.67 $2.67

-25.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.66 $2.66

-11.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.24 $2.24

-23.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.13 $3.13

-23.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.13 $10.13

$13.82 $13.82

-26.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 $13.70

$14.88 $14.88

-7.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.54 $2.54

-32.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.51 $3.51

29.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.18 $3.18

22.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.39 $1.39

41.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.67 $43.67

$25.03 $25.03

74.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.20 $1.20

-17.50%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

-22.43%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

-3.36%

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

$271 $271

$194 $194

39.62%

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

$51.5 $51.5

$69.5 $69.5

-25.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.6 $81.6

$61.6 $61.6

32.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.80 $29.80

$47.90 $47.90

-37.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.65 $19.65

$27.34 $27.34

-28.13%

Cinema Ticket

$13.86 $13.86

$17.81 $17.81

-22.18%

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

$1,292 $1,292

$1,794 $1,794

-27.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$31.9K $31.9K

-25.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.4 $64.4

$67.0 $67.0

-3.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 $49.68

$52.1 $52.1

-4.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.6 $98.6

$102 $102

-2.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$144 $144

-20.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 $1,242

$2,526 $2,526

-50.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 $1,003

$1,578 $1,578

-36.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,933 $1,933

$4,738 $4,738

-59.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 $1,637

$2,693 $2,693

-39.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,514 $3,514

$4,190 $4,190

-16.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,811 $1,811

$2,768 $2,768

-34.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,822 $3,822

$4,931 $4,931

-22.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.81

-5.29%

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

Last update for Iowa City, IA: 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

Iowa City, IA

$1K 44.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 57.4% $575

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iowa City, IA

$404 18%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 19.5% $79

Groceries & Markets

Iowa City, IA

$352 15.6%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 27.2% $96

Eating Out

Iowa City, IA

$273 12.1%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 26.3% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Iowa City, IA

$147 6.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 11.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Iowa City, IA

$58 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 45.2% $26

Getting Around

Iowa City, IA

$14 * 0.6%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 579% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,242 in Iowa City, IA 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 29% 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 $67 in Iowa City, IA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $447 – making Iowa City, IA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

19:52 7:52 PM

Same time as Iowa City, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,828

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Iowa City, IA Chicago, IL 320 km

From you

Iowa City, IA
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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

Iowa City, IA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,251 in Iowa City, IA, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Iowa City, IA comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,376 per month in Iowa City, IA 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 Iowa City, IA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,242 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Iowa City, IA 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 27% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Iowa City, IA, where all-in costs run around $2,251, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Iowa City, IA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Iowa City, IA – 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 Iowa City, IA. 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.