Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jacksonville, NC and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Jacksonville, NC: $2,554 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

123

Cost of Living Index in Jacksonville, NC
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Jacksonville, NC Living Index
147

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

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Jacksonville, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,554

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,554 per month in Jacksonville, NC vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Jacksonville, NC $2,554
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,595 per month in Jacksonville, NC vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Jacksonville, NC $3,595
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,637 per month in Jacksonville, NC vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Jacksonville, NC $4,637
Chicago, IL $5,999

Jacksonville, NC is about 16% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Jacksonville, NC and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Jacksonville, NC by 88%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.57 $15.57

$20.71 $20.71

-24.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.9 $58.9

$89.2 $89.2

-34.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 $9.89

$13.19 $13.19

-25.02%

Cappuccino

$4.81 $4.81

$5.66 $5.66

-15.02%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$2.64 $2.64

-3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.28 $2.28

-13.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.94 $4.94

$6.87 $6.87

-28.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 $7.06

$8.84 $8.84

-20.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.25 $1.25

-6.40%

White Bread (500g)

$4.21 $4.21

$3.72 $3.72

13.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$11.08 $11.08

$5.39 $5.39

105.57%

Eggs

$6.04 $6.04

$4.74 $4.74

27.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.50 $19.50

$13.84 $13.84

40.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.09 $17.09

$14.40 $14.40

18.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.53 $24.53

$18.38 $18.38

33.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$5.22 $5.22

12.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.98 $1.98

-6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.23 $8.23

$4.06 $4.06

102.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$4.97 $4.97

24.14%

Potato (1kg)

$6.88 $6.88

$2.67 $2.67

157.68%

Onion (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.66 $2.66

50.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.24 $2.24

23.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.13 $3.13

-34.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.96 $8.96

$13.82 $13.82

-35.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$14.88 $14.88

0.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.54 $2.54

-30.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.51 $3.51

12.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.43 $2.43

-37.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.4 $90.4

$73.5 $73.5

22.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.18 $3.18

-20.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.20 $1.20

-24.17%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.87%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.7K $26.7K

-3.65%

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

$174 $174

$194 $194

-10.51%

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

$76.0 $76.0

$69.5 $69.5

9.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$61.6 $61.6

15.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.20 $31.20

$47.90 $47.90

-34.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.71 $1.71

$27.34 $27.34

-93.75%

Cinema Ticket

$15.59 $15.59

$17.81 $17.81

-12.46%

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

$796 $796

$1,794 $1,794

-55.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 $60.9

$67.0 $67.0

-9.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.56 $39.56

$52.1 $52.1

-24.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$102 $102

1.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$144 $144

-3.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 $1,384

$2,526 $2,526

-45.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 $1,094

$1,578 $1,578

-30.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,809 $1,809

$4,738 $4,738

-61.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 $1,451

$2,693 $2,693

-46.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 $2,049

$4,190 $4,190

-51.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 $1,833

$2,768 $2,768

-33.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,208 $2,208

$4,931 $4,931

-55.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

6.81

-6.46%

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

Last update for Jacksonville, NC: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jacksonville, NC

$1.1K 42.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 44.3% $484

Groceries & Markets

Jacksonville, NC

$555 21.7%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 19.4% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jacksonville, NC

$321 12.6%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 1.3% $4.3

Eating Out

Jacksonville, NC

$269 10.5%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 28.3% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Jacksonville, NC

$154 6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 6.6% $10

Getting Around

Jacksonville, NC

$99 * 3.9%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 5.7% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Jacksonville, NC

$62 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 33.9% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,384 in Jacksonville, NC 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 in Chicago, IL are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Jacksonville, NC versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $555 in Jacksonville, NC vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Jacksonville, NC

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

18:55 6:55 PM

17:55 5:55 PM

1 h behind Jacksonville, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

949,611

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Jacksonville, NC Chicago, IL 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Jacksonville, NC
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

Jacksonville, NC vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,554 in Jacksonville, NC, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Jacksonville, NC comes out roughly 16% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,831 per month in Jacksonville, NC 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 Jacksonville, NC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,384 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Jacksonville, NC 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 Jacksonville, NC, where all-in costs run around $2,554, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Jacksonville, NC it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jacksonville, NC – 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 Jacksonville, NC. 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.