Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leesburg, VA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Leesburg, VA: $2,698 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in Leesburg, VA
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Leesburg, VA Living Index
147

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

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Leesburg, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,698 per month in Leesburg, VA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Leesburg, VA $2,698
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,984 per month in Leesburg, VA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Leesburg, VA $3,984
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,269 per month in Leesburg, VA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Leesburg, VA $5,269
Chicago, IL $5,999

Leesburg, VA is about 11% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Leesburg, VA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Leesburg, VA by 98%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.83 $12.83

$20.71 $20.71

-38.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 $70.9

$89.2 $89.2

-20.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.23 $12.23

$13.19 $13.19

-7.28%

Cappuccino

$6.12 $6.12

$5.66 $5.66

8.13%

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

$3.12 $3.12

$2.64 $2.64

18.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.28 $2.28

0.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 $5.92

$6.87 $6.87

-13.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.17 $8.17

$8.84 $8.84

-7.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.25 $1.25

6.40%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.72 $3.72

12.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.24 $7.24

$5.39 $5.39

34.32%

Eggs

$5.55 $5.55

$4.74 $4.74

17.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.09 $17.09

$13.84 $13.84

23.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.80 $16.80

$14.40 $14.40

16.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 $18.92

$18.38 $18.38

2.94%

Apples (1kg)

$6.97 $6.97

$5.22 $5.22

33.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.98 $1.98

15.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$4.06 $4.06

24.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.68 $5.68

$4.97 $4.97

14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.67 $2.67

4.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.66 $2.66

42.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.24 $2.24

13.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.13 $3.13

-15.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.15 $14.15

$13.82 $13.82

2.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.77 $15.77

$14.88 $14.88

5.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.54 $2.54

32.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 $5.78

$3.51 $3.51

64.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.11 $6.11

$2.43 $2.43

151.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.18 $3.18

27.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.39 $1.39

15.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.22 $25.22

$25.03 $25.03

0.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.20 $1.20

-29.17%

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

$34.7K $34.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

-1.04%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.89%

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

$214 $214

$194 $194

10.29%

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

$82.3 $82.3

$69.5 $69.5

18.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.3 $77.3

$61.6 $61.6

25.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.01 $43.01

$47.90 $47.90

-10.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.74 $31.74

$27.34 $27.34

16.09%

Cinema Ticket

$16.83 $16.83

$17.81 $17.81

-5.50%

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

$2,887 $2,887

$1,794 $1,794

60.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.1K $25.1K

$31.9K $31.9K

-21.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 $67.6

$67.0 $67.0

0.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.36 $43.36

$52.1 $52.1

-16.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$102 $102

3.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.3 $88.3

$144 $144

-38.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 $1,583

$2,526 $2,526

-37.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 $1,280

$1,578 $1,578

-18.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,833 $2,833

$4,738 $4,738

-40.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,158 $2,158

$2,693 $2,693

-19.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,924 $3,924

$4,190 $4,190

-6.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,042 $3,042

$2,768 $2,768

9.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,602 $6,602

$4,931 $4,931

33.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.81

-2.64%

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

Last update for Leesburg, VA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leesburg, VA

$1.3K 47.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 23.3% $298

Groceries & Markets

Leesburg, VA

$514 19%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 12.9% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leesburg, VA

$374 13.9%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 13% $49

Eating Out

Leesburg, VA

$280 10.4%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 23% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Leesburg, VA

$137 5.1%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 19.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Leesburg, VA

$77 2.8%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 8.9% $6.8

Getting Around

Leesburg, VA

$37 * 1.4%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 156% $57

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,583 in Leesburg, VA 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 34% higher in Leesburg, VA, 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 $71 in Leesburg, VA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $514 in Leesburg, VA vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Leesburg, VA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

04:22 4:22 AM

03:22 3:22 AM

1 h behind Leesburg, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,215

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Leesburg, VA Chicago, IL 900 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Leesburg, VA
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

Leesburg, VA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,698 in Leesburg, VA, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Leesburg, VA comes out roughly 11% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,048 per month in Leesburg, VA 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 Leesburg, VA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,583 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Leesburg, VA and $89 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,698 in Leesburg, VA 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 $2,698 in Leesburg, VA to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.