Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lenoir City, TN and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Lenoir City, TN: $2,305 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Lenoir City, TN
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Lenoir City, TN Living Index
152

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

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Lenoir City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,305

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,305 per month in Lenoir City, TN vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lenoir City, TN $2,305
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,194 per month in Lenoir City, TN vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lenoir City, TN $3,194
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,084 per month in Lenoir City, TN vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lenoir City, TN $4,084
Chicago, IL $6,115

Lenoir City, TN is about 27% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lenoir City, TN and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Lenoir City, TN by 70%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.85 $12.85

$20.65 $20.65

-37.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.7 $56.7

$90.2 $90.2

-37.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 $8.77

$12.94 $12.94

-32.23%

Cappuccino

$3.90 $3.90

$5.60 $5.60

-30.36%

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

$2.51 $2.51

$2.64 $2.64

-4.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.27 $2.27

-11.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 $4.86

$6.98 $6.98

-30.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 $5.10

$8.83 $8.83

-42.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.27 $1.27

-40.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.80 $3.80

-42.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$5.30 $5.30

-25.28%

Eggs

$3.20 $3.20

$4.76 $4.76

-32.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.82 $7.82

$13.96 $13.96

-43.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$14.61 $14.61

-61.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 $7.60

$18.77 $18.77

-59.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$5.19 $5.19

-13.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.98 $1.98

-38.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.93 $3.93

13.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$4.96 $4.96

-10.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.76 $2.76

-18.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.76 $2.76

-1.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.22 $2.22

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.98 $2.98

-2.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.21 $8.21

$14.02 $14.02

-41.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 $12.06

$15.28 $15.28

-21.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.58 $2.58

-31.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.50 $3.50

-49.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.47 $2.47

-26.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.34 $3.34

47.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.43 $1.43

35.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.45 $34.45

$24.32 $24.32

41.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.26 $1.26

-23.02%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$35.0K $35.0K

-20.02%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$26.1K $26.1K

-3.62%

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

$147 $147

$193 $193

-23.77%

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

$60.8 $60.8

$68.3 $68.3

-10.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.5 $60.5

$61.3 $61.3

-1.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.33 $45.33

$54.1 $54.1

-16.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 $14.73

$17.74 $17.74

-16.97%

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

$784 $784

$1,652 $1,652

-52.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.2K $25.2K

$31.1K $31.1K

-18.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.15 $42.15

$66.1 $66.1

-36.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.63 $30.63

$51.2 $51.2

-40.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 $75.8

$100 $100

-24.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 $156

$141 $141

10.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,472 $1,472

$2,446 $2,446

-39.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 $1,283

$1,678 $1,678

-23.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,853 $1,853

$4,717 $4,717

-60.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$2,795 $2,795

-33.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,685 $2,685

$4,105 $4,105

-34.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,373 $2,373

$2,650 $2,650

-10.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,175 $3,175

$4,866 $4,866

-34.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

-26.58%

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

Last update for Lenoir City, TN: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lenoir City, TN

$1.3K 55.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 30.8% $395

Groceries & Markets

Lenoir City, TN

$292 12.7%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 54.1% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lenoir City, TN

$268 11.6%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 20.1% $54

Eating Out

Lenoir City, TN

$229 9.9%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 50.3% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Lenoir City, TN

$137 6%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 17.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Lenoir City, TN

$75 3.3%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 19.8% $15

Getting Around

Lenoir City, TN

$22 * 1%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 335% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,472 in Lenoir City, TN versus $2,446 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 53% 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 $57.0 in Lenoir City, TN versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $449 – making Lenoir City, TN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lenoir City, TN

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

02:37 2:37 AM

1 h behind Lenoir City, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,000

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

Lenoir City, TN Chicago, IL 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lenoir City, TN
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

Lenoir City, TN vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,305 in Lenoir City, TN, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 36% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,457 per month in Lenoir City, TN and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lenoir City, TN, 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 $57.0 in Lenoir City, TN and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lenoir City, TN, where all-in costs run around $2,305, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Lenoir City, TN it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,305 in Lenoir City, TN to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Lenoir City, TN. 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.