Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jackson, WY and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,185 a month against $3,893 in Jackson, WY, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Jackson, WY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

191

Cost of Living Index in Jackson, WY
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Jackson, WY Living Index
153

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

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Jackson, WY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,893

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,893 per month in Jackson, WY vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Jackson, WY $3,893
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $5,675 per month in Jackson, WY vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Jackson, WY $5,675
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $7,456 per month in Jackson, WY vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Jackson, WY $7,456
Chicago, IL $6,077

Jackson, WY costs about 22% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Jackson, WY and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Jackson, WY by 188%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.37 $22.37

$21.58 $21.58

3.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.9 $99.9

$88.7 $88.7

12.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 $11.92

$13.20 $13.20

-9.70%

Cappuccino

$5.64 $5.64

$5.59 $5.59

0.89%

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

$3.19 $3.19

$2.63 $2.63

21.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.26 $2.26

11.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 $7.17

$7.11 $7.11

0.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 $7.19

$9.23 $9.23

-22.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.28 $1.28

-17.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.84 $3.84

-7.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.33 $7.33

$5.07 $5.07

44.58%

Eggs

$4.05 $4.05

$4.84 $4.84

-16.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.94 $24.94

$14.17 $14.17

76.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.27 $13.27

$14.61 $14.61

-9.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.66 $19.66

$18.76 $18.76

4.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$5.19 $5.19

-13.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$2.00 $2.00

-28.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$4.00 $4.00

-1.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.98 $4.98

2.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.79 $2.79

-31.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.65 $2.65

-14.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.13 $2.13

6.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$3.09 $3.09

-32.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.62 $9.62

$16.05 $16.05

-40.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$15.20 $15.20

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.62 $2.62

-32.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.46 $3.46

21.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 $2.57

$3.21 $3.21

-19.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.39 $1.39

-2.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.2 $60.2

$25.02 $25.02

140.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.24 $1.24

-24.19%

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

$31.7K $31.7K

$37.2K $37.2K

-14.62%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$25.8K $25.8K

0.62%

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

$173 $173

$192 $192

-10.01%

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

$68.2 $68.2

$67.8 $67.8

0.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.8 $85.8

$60.9 $60.9

40.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$53.6 $53.6

108.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 $13.84

$17.80 $17.80

-22.25%

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

$1,194 $1,194

$1,554 $1,554

-23.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K $19.6K

$31.4K $31.4K

-37.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$67.9 $67.9

-20.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.85 $32.85

$50.8 $50.8

-35.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.6 $96.6

$101 $101

-4.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.6 $50.6

$143 $143

-64.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,034 $3,034

$2,383 $2,383

27.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,501 $2,501

$1,712 $1,712

46.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,671 $5,671

$4,674 $4,674

21.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,272 $4,272

$2,738 $2,738

56.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,982 $9,982

$4,158 $4,158

140.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.0K $10.0K

$2,691 $2,691

272.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,117 $8,117

$4,894 $4,894

65.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

6.77

-6.20%

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

Last update for Jackson, WY: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jackson, WY

$2.5K 64.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 31.6% $789

Groceries & Markets

Jackson, WY

$455 11.7%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 0.9% $4

Eating Out

Jackson, WY

$355 9.1%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 0.7% $2.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jackson, WY

$327 8.4%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 1.8% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Jackson, WY

$139 3.6%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 36% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Jackson, WY

$105 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 55.2% $58

Getting Around

Jackson, WY

$9.4 * 0.2%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 917% $86

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,034 in Jackson, WY versus $2,383 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 66% higher in Jackson, WY, 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 $100 in Jackson, WY versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $455 vs $451 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Jackson, WY

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

11:48 11:48 AM

12:48 12:48 PM

1 h ahead of Jackson, WY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

153,701

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

Jackson, WY Chicago, IL 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Jackson, WY
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

Jackson, WY vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,893 in Jackson, WY, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,839 per month in Jackson, WY and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chicago, IL, 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 $100 in Jackson, WY and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Jackson, WY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,893 in Jackson, WY and $3,185 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 $3,185 in Chicago, IL to $3,893 in Jackson, WY. 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 Chicago, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Jackson, WY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.