Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lebanon, NH: $2,933 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

141

Cost of Living Index in Lebanon, NH
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Lebanon, NH Living Index
147

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

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Lebanon, NH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,933

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,933 per month in Lebanon, NH vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lebanon, NH $2,933
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,600 per month in Lebanon, NH vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lebanon, NH $4,600
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $6,266 per month in Lebanon, NH vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lebanon, NH $6,266
Chicago, IL $5,999

Lebanon, NH is about 3% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Lebanon, NH and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Lebanon, NH by 116%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.10 $25.10

$20.71 $20.71

21.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$89.2 $89.2

33.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.22 $15.22

$13.19 $13.19

15.39%

Cappuccino

$6.13 $6.13

$5.66 $5.66

8.30%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$2.64 $2.64

17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.28 $2.28

5.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 $7.90

$6.87 $6.87

14.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.21 $8.21

$8.84 $8.84

-7.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.25 $1.25

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.72 $4.72

$3.72 $3.72

26.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.21 $8.21

$5.39 $5.39

52.32%

Eggs

$3.92 $3.92

$4.74 $4.74

-17.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.92 $18.92

$13.84 $13.84

36.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.27 $10.27

$14.40 $14.40

-28.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 $15.92

$18.38 $18.38

-13.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$5.22 $5.22

-9.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.98 $1.98

-16.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$4.06 $4.06

46.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$4.97 $4.97

39.84%

Potato (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$2.67 $2.67

140.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$2.66 $2.66

39.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.24 $2.24

43.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$3.13 $3.13

-16.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.35 $12.35

$13.82 $13.82

-10.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.17 $15.17

$14.88 $14.88

1.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.54 $2.54

-25.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$3.51 $3.51

-25.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.43 $2.43

-16.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.5 $58.5

$73.5 $73.5

-20.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.18 $3.18

-38.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.39 $1.39

13.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.12 $11.12

$25.03 $25.03

-55.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.20 $1.20

-12.50%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.34%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.43%

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

$224 $224

$194 $194

15.20%

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

$44.86 $44.86

$69.5 $69.5

-35.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 $59.2

$61.6 $61.6

-3.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.75 $37.75

$47.90 $47.90

-21.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.86 $12.86

$17.81 $17.81

-27.79%

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

$1,271 $1,271

$1,794 $1,794

-29.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.4K $26.4K

$31.9K $31.9K

-17.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 $53.4

$67.0 $67.0

-20.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.9 $78.9

$52.1 $52.1

51.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$102 $102

2.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 $132

$144 $144

-8.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 $1,576

$2,526 $2,526

-37.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 $1,435

$1,578 $1,578

-9.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,918 $2,918

$4,738 $4,738

-38.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,782 $2,782

$2,693 $2,693

3.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,823 $2,823

$4,190 $4,190

-32.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,326 $2,326

$2,768 $2,768

-15.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,540 $5,540

$4,931 $4,931

12.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.81

-4.55%

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

Last update for Lebanon, NH: 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

Lebanon, NH

$1.4K 48.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 10% $143

Groceries & Markets

Lebanon, NH

$467 15.9%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 4.2% $19

Eating Out

Lebanon, NH

$398 13.6%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 13.3% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lebanon, NH

$328 11.2%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 0.8% $2.6

Clothing & Footwear

Lebanon, NH

$165 5.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 0.8% $1.4

Getting Around

Lebanon, NH

$76 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 22.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Lebanon, NH

$63 2.2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 31.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,576 in Lebanon, NH 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 12% higher in Lebanon, NH, 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 $120 in Lebanon, NH versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $467 vs $447 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lebanon, NH

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

06:23 6:23 AM

05:23 5:23 AM

1 h behind Lebanon, NH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,477

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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Between locations

Lebanon, NH Chicago, IL 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Lebanon, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,933 in Lebanon, NH, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Lebanon, NH comes out roughly 3% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,400 per month in Lebanon, NH 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 Lebanon, NH, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,576 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in Lebanon, NH and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,933 in Lebanon, NH and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Lebanon, NH – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.