Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Keene, NH and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Keene, NH: $2,782 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Keene, NH
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Keene, NH Living Index
153

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

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Keene, NH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,782

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,782 per month in Keene, NH vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Keene, NH $2,782
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $2,908 per month in Keene, NH vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Keene, NH $2,908
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $3,035 per month in Keene, NH vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Keene, NH $3,035
Chicago, IL $6,077

Keene, NH is about 13% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Keene, NH and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Keene, NH by 106%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 $19.92

$21.58 $21.58

-7.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 $98.9

$88.7 $88.7

11.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 $11.87

$13.20 $13.20

-10.08%

Cappuccino

$3.05 $3.05

$5.59 $5.59

-45.44%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$2.63 $2.63

17.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.26 $2.26

-54.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$7.11 $7.11

9.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.80 $8.80

$9.23 $9.23

-4.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.28 $1.28

-4.69%

White Bread (500g)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.84 $3.84

13.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$5.07 $5.07

37.87%

Eggs

$5.94 $5.94

$4.84 $4.84

22.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.80 $15.80

$14.17 $14.17

11.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.70 $14.70

$14.61 $14.61

0.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.14 $19.14

$18.76 $18.76

2.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$5.19 $5.19

-12.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.00 $2.00

4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$4.00 $4.00

35.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.76 $7.76

$4.98 $4.98

55.82%

Potato (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.79 $2.79

62.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$2.65 $2.65

50.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.13 $2.13

40.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.09 $3.09

-5.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$16.05 $16.05

-20.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 $15.76

$15.20 $15.20

3.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.62 $2.62

17.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 $5.62

$3.46 $3.46

62.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.21 $3.21

-17.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.39 $1.39

28.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.06 $28.06

$25.02 $25.02

12.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.24 $1.24

-26.61%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$37.2K $37.2K

-2.92%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$25.8K $25.8K

2.31%

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

$98.5 $98.5

$192 $192

-48.78%

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

$24.78 $24.78

$67.8 $67.8

-63.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.8 $69.8

$60.9 $60.9

14.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.40 $31.40

$53.6 $53.6

-41.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$13.66 $13.66

$17.80 $17.80

-23.26%

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

$2,851 $2,851

$1,554 $1,554

83.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.6K $36.6K

$31.4K $31.4K

16.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 $76.5

$67.9 $67.9

12.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

0.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$101 $101

16.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$143 $143

14.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 $1,661

$2,383 $2,383

-30.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 $1,521

$1,712 $1,712

-11.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,661 $2,661

$4,158 $4,158

-36.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,600 $2,600

$2,691 $2,691

-3.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.77

-1.62%

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

Last update for Keene, NH: 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

Keene, NH

$1.5K 54.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 12.5% $191

Groceries & Markets

Keene, NH

$508 18.3%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 11.2% $57

Eating Out

Keene, NH

$305 11%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 15.8% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Keene, NH

$193 6.9%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 66.2% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Keene, NH

$184 6.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 11.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Keene, NH

$59 2.1%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 51.9% $30

Getting Around

Keene, NH

$12 * 0.4%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 721% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,661 in Keene, NH 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Keene, NH versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $508 vs $451 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Keene, NH

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

08:35 8:35 AM

07:35 7:35 AM

1 h behind Keene, NH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,047

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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Between locations

Keene, NH Chicago, IL 1,260 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Keene, NH
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

Keene, NH vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,782 in Keene, NH, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,172 per month in Keene, NH 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 Keene, NH, 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 $99.0 in Keene, NH and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,782 in Keene, NH 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 $2,782 in Keene, NH to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. 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 Keene, NH. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.