Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Las Vegas, NV and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Las Vegas, NV: $2,869 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Las Vegas, NV
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Las Vegas, NV Living Index
153

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

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Las Vegas, NV

🇺🇸 United States

$2,869

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,869 per month in Las Vegas, NV vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Las Vegas, NV $2,869
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $4,188 per month in Las Vegas, NV vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Las Vegas, NV $4,188
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $5,507 per month in Las Vegas, NV vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Las Vegas, NV $5,507
Chicago, IL $6,077

Las Vegas, NV is about 10% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Las Vegas, NV and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Las Vegas, NV by 112%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.91 $24.91

$21.58 $21.58

15.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 $98.5

$88.7 $88.7

11.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 $13.66

$13.20 $13.20

3.48%

Cappuccino

$6.14 $6.14

$5.59 $5.59

9.84%

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

$4.56 $4.56

$2.63 $2.63

73.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.26 $2.26

34.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.67 $7.67

$7.11 $7.11

7.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.61 $9.61

$9.23 $9.23

4.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.28 $1.28

-27.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.35 $3.35

$3.84 $3.84

-12.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$5.07 $5.07

-13.21%

Eggs

$4.54 $4.54

$4.84 $4.84

-6.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 $13.50

$14.17 $14.17

-4.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.51 $11.51

$14.61 $14.61

-21.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.78 $18.78

$18.76 $18.76

0.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.19 $5.19

-16.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.00 $2.00

-20.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$4.00 $4.00

-9.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.98 $4.98

-22.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.79 $2.79

-15.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.65 $2.65

-15.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.13 $2.13

-10.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.09 $3.09

-19.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.84 $9.84

$16.05 $16.05

-38.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 $11.15

$15.20 $15.20

-26.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.62 $2.62

-4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.46 $3.46

-13.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.47 $2.47

3.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 $65.2

$75.1 $75.1

-13.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.21 $3.21

14.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.39 $1.39

87.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.42 $34.42

$25.02 $25.02

37.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.24 $1.24

-1.61%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$37.2K $37.2K

0.58%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.8K $25.8K

5.01%

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

$203 $203

$192 $192

5.69%

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

$78.0 $78.0

$67.8 $67.8

15.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.7 $79.7

$60.9 $60.9

30.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.84 $29.84

$53.6 $53.6

-44.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.09 $14.09

$27.90 $27.90

-49.50%

Cinema Ticket

$14.81 $14.81

$17.80 $17.80

-16.80%

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

$1,212 $1,212

$1,554 $1,554

-22.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$31.4K $31.4K

-20.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.56 $46.56

$67.9 $67.9

-31.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.61 $36.61

$50.8 $50.8

-27.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 $83.7

$101 $101

-17.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 $94.2

$143 $143

-34.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 $1,639

$2,383 $2,383

-31.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 $1,449

$1,712 $1,712

-15.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,461 $2,461

$4,674 $4,674

-47.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,292 $2,292

$2,738 $2,738

-16.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,189 $5,189

$4,158 $4,158

24.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,831 $2,831

$2,691 $2,691

5.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,783 $3,783

$4,894 $4,894

-22.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

6.77

-2.51%

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

Last update for Las Vegas, NV: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Las Vegas, NV

$1.4K 50.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 18.2% $263

Eating Out

Las Vegas, NV

$402 14%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 12.2% $49

Groceries & Markets

Las Vegas, NV

$388 13.5%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 16.3% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Las Vegas, NV

$361 12.6%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 11.1% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Las Vegas, NV

$118 4.1%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 39.2% $46

Getting Around

Las Vegas, NV

$92 3.2%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 3.3% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Las Vegas, NV

$59 2.1%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 49.9% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,639 in Las Vegas, NV 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 29% 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 $98.0 in Las Vegas, NV versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $388 in Las Vegas, NV vs $451 in Chicago, IL – so Las Vegas, NV wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Las Vegas, NV

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

14:45 2:45 PM

16:45 4:45 PM

2 h ahead of Las Vegas, NV

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

641,903

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Las Vegas, NV Chicago, IL 2,460 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Las Vegas, NV
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

Las Vegas, NV vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,869 in Las Vegas, NV, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 11% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,303 per month in Las Vegas, NV 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 Las Vegas, NV, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Las Vegas, NV and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,869 in Las Vegas, NV 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 $2,869 in Las Vegas, NV to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Las Vegas, NV. 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.