Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johnson City, TN and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Johnson City, TN: $2,138 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Johnson City, TN
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Johnson City, TN Living Index
147

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

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Johnson City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,138

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,138 per month in Johnson City, TN vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Johnson City, TN $2,138
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,133 per month in Johnson City, TN vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Johnson City, TN $3,133
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,129 per month in Johnson City, TN vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Johnson City, TN $4,129
Chicago, IL $5,999

Johnson City, TN is about 30% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Johnson City, TN and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Johnson City, TN by 57%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.78 $13.78

$20.71 $20.71

-33.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 $53.9

$89.2 $89.2

-39.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 $9.88

$13.19 $13.19

-25.09%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$5.66 $5.66

-9.19%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$2.64 $2.64

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.28 $2.28

-10.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$6.87 $6.87

-28.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 $6.04

$8.84 $8.84

-31.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.25 $1.25

-21.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.72 $3.72

0.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$5.39 $5.39

-26.35%

Eggs

$3.11 $3.11

$4.74 $4.74

-34.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 $7.53

$13.84 $13.84

-45.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.67 $13.67

$14.40 $14.40

-5.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.09 $13.09

$18.38 $18.38

-28.78%

Apples (1kg)

$7.59 $7.59

$5.22 $5.22

45.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.98 $1.98

-12.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$4.06 $4.06

0.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$4.97 $4.97

-26.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.67 $2.67

27.34%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.66 $2.66

63.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.24 $2.24

-1.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.13 $3.13

-24.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.01 $9.01

$13.82 $13.82

-34.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.14 $13.14

$14.88 $14.88

-11.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.54 $2.54

-36.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 $4.42

$3.51 $3.51

25.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 $0.97

$2.43 $2.43

-60.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.13 $25.13

$73.5 $73.5

-65.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 $5.58

$3.18 $3.18

75.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.39 $1.39

3.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.19 $15.19

$25.03 $25.03

-39.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.20 $1.20

-30.83%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$35.0K $35.0K

-14.38%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$26.7K $26.7K

-7.36%

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

$172 $172

$194 $194

-11.44%

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

$51.9 $51.9

$69.5 $69.5

-25.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.5 $62.5

$61.6 $61.6

1.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.20 $47.20

$47.90 $47.90

-1.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$27.34 $27.34

-26.34%

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 $11.88

$17.81 $17.81

-33.30%

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

$1,185 $1,185

$1,794 $1,794

-33.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K $14.6K

$31.9K $31.9K

-54.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.41 $37.41

$67.0 $67.0

-44.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.80 $30.80

$52.1 $52.1

-40.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 $87.4

$102 $102

-13.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.4 $94.4

$144 $144

-34.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,178 $1,178

$2,526 $2,526

-53.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$980 $980

$1,578 $1,578

-37.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 $1,992

$4,738 $4,738

-57.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 $1,616

$2,693 $2,693

-39.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,444 $2,444

$4,190 $4,190

-41.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 $2,033

$2,768 $2,768

-26.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,584 $3,584

$4,931 $4,931

-27.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

6.81

-4.70%

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

Last update for Johnson City, TN: 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

Johnson City, TN

$980 45.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 61% $598

Groceries & Markets

Johnson City, TN

$388 18.1%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 15.3% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johnson City, TN

$287 13.4%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 13.6% $39

Eating Out

Johnson City, TN

$258 12.1%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 33.7% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Johnson City, TN

$113 5.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 45.7% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Johnson City, TN

$71 3.3%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 17.7% $13

Getting Around

Johnson City, TN

$42 2%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 123% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,178 in Johnson City, TN 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 38% 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 $54 in Johnson City, TN versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $388 vs $447 – making Johnson City, TN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Johnson City, TN

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

07:05 7:05 AM

06:05 6:05 AM

1 h behind Johnson City, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,027

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Johnson City, TN Chicago, IL 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Johnson City, TN
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

Johnson City, TN vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,138 in Johnson City, TN, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Johnson City, TN comes out roughly 30% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,207 per month in Johnson City, TN 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 Johnson City, TN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,178 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Johnson City, TN and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Johnson City, TN, where all-in costs run around $2,138, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Johnson City, TN it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Johnson City, TN – 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 Johnson City, TN. 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.