Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Juneau, AK and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,150 in Juneau, AK, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Juneau, AK despite lower rent and utilities.

153

Cost of Living Index in Juneau, AK
Learn more

Juneau, AK Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Juneau, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$3,150

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,150 per month in Juneau, AK vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Juneau, AK $3,150
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,821 per month in Juneau, AK vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Juneau, AK $4,821
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $6,492 per month in Juneau, AK vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Juneau, AK $6,492
Chicago, IL $5,999

Juneau, AK costs about 4% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Juneau, AK and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Juneau, AK by 131%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.63 $16.63

$20.71 $20.71

-19.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$89.2 $89.2

-0.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.93 $15.93

$13.19 $13.19

20.77%

Cappuccino

$6.81 $6.81

$5.66 $5.66

20.32%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$2.64 $2.64

5.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.28 $2.28

-3.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.95 $6.95

$6.87 $6.87

1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$8.84 $8.84

-19.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.25 $1.25

16.00%

White Bread (500g)

$7.63 $7.63

$3.72 $3.72

105.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$5.39 $5.39

-10.76%

Eggs

$5.49 $5.49

$4.74 $4.74

15.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.45 $22.45

$13.84 $13.84

62.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.38 $15.38

$14.40 $14.40

6.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$18.38 $18.38

1.85%

Apples (1kg)

$6.62 $6.62

$5.22 $5.22

26.82%

Banana (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$1.98 $1.98

86.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$4.06 $4.06

18.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.68 $5.68

$4.97 $4.97

14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.67 $2.67

13.48%

Onion (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.66 $2.66

65.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.24 $2.24

25.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.13 $3.13

-15.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.78 $14.78

$13.82 $13.82

6.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.11 $17.11

$14.88 $14.88

14.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.54 $2.54

1.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 $3.24

$3.51 $3.51

-7.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.43 $2.43

-15.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.77 $39.77

$73.5 $73.5

-45.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.20 $1.20

0.83%

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

$23.8K $23.8K

$35.0K $35.0K

-32.06%

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

$32.6K $32.6K

$26.7K $26.7K

22.25%

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

$380 $380

$194 $194

95.69%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$69.5 $69.5

8.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$110 $110

$61.6 $61.6

78.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$132 $132

$47.90 $47.90

174.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$14.75 $14.75

$17.81 $17.81

-17.18%

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

$1,586 $1,586

$1,794 $1,794

-11.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 $60.0

$67.0 $67.0

-10.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.62 $45.62

$52.1 $52.1

-12.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 $86.0

$102 $102

-15.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 $148

$144 $144

3.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 $1,644

$2,526 $2,526

-34.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 $1,341

$1,578 $1,578

-15.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,029 $3,029

$4,738 $4,738

-36.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,724 $2,724

$2,693 $2,693

1.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,481 $3,481

$4,190 $4,190

-16.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,529 $3,529

$2,768 $2,768

27.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,023 $4,023

$4,931 $4,931

-18.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.81

-3.67%

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

Last update for Juneau, AK: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Juneau, AK

$1.3K 42.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 17.6% $237

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Juneau, AK

$566 18%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 42.4% $240

Groceries & Markets

Juneau, AK

$550 17.5%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 18.6% $102

Eating Out

Juneau, AK

$331 10.5%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 4.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Juneau, AK

$161 5.1%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 48.2% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Juneau, AK

$153 4.9%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 7.2% $11

Getting Around

Juneau, AK

$48 * 1.5%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 94.6% $45

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,644 in Juneau, AK 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 23% higher in Chicago, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Juneau, AK versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $550 in Juneau, AK vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Juneau, AK

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

20:03 8:03 PM

23:03 11:03 PM

3 h ahead of Juneau, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,000

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

Juneau, AK Chicago, IL 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Juneau, AK
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

Juneau, AK vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,150 in Juneau, AK, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 4% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,725 per month in Juneau, AK 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 Juneau, AK, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,644 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Public transport costs about 46% less in Juneau, AK. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Juneau, AK, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,150 in Juneau, AK and $3,037 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 $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $3,150 in Juneau, AK. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.