Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Longmont, CO and Chicago, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Longmont, CO and in Chicago, IL: $3,075 and $3,139 a month, rent and utilities included.

148

Cost of Living Index in Longmont, CO
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Longmont, CO Living Index
152

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

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Longmont, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,075

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,075 per month in Longmont, CO vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Longmont, CO $3,075
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,586 per month in Longmont, CO vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Longmont, CO $4,586
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $6,096 per month in Longmont, CO vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Longmont, CO $6,096
Chicago, IL $6,115

Longmont, CO is about 2% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Longmont, CO and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Longmont, CO by 127%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.29 $20.29

$20.65 $20.65

-1.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.8 $79.8

$90.2 $90.2

-11.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 $10.41

$12.94 $12.94

-19.55%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.60 $5.60

1.07%

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

$3.11 $3.11

$2.64 $2.64

17.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.27 $2.27

6.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 $6.97

$6.98 $6.98

-0.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$8.83 $8.83

-12.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.27 $1.27

-16.54%

White Bread (500g)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.80 $3.80

33.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$5.30 $5.30

-21.32%

Eggs

$6.15 $6.15

$4.76 $4.76

29.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.03 $14.03

$13.96 $13.96

0.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.43 $13.43

$14.61 $14.61

-8.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.58 $19.58

$18.77 $18.77

4.32%

Apples (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$5.19 $5.19

5.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.98 $1.98

-27.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$3.93 $3.93

14.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$4.96 $4.96

-2.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.76 $2.76

-8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.76 $2.76

24.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.22 $2.22

7.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.98 $2.98

-23.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.29 $10.29

$14.02 $14.02

-26.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.25 $17.25

$15.28 $15.28

12.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.58 $2.58

-9.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.50 $3.50

-30.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.47 $2.47

-37.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.3 $83.3

$74.8 $74.8

11.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.34 $3.34

-26.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.43 $1.43

-0.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.91 $23.91

$24.32 $24.32

-1.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.26 $1.26

-19.05%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

-20.81%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.31%

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

$212 $212

$193 $193

10.11%

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

$80.5 $80.5

$68.3 $68.3

17.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.9 $74.9

$61.3 $61.3

22.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.27 $38.27

$54.1 $54.1

-29.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$65.3 $65.3

$27.92 $27.92

133.88%

Cinema Ticket

$16.00 $16.00

$17.74 $17.74

-9.81%

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

$1,592 $1,592

$1,652 $1,652

-3.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$31.1K $31.1K

-19.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 $61.5

$66.1 $66.1

-6.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.35 $48.35

$51.2 $51.2

-5.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 $84.4

$100 $100

-15.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$141 $141

-28.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,726 $1,726

$2,446 $2,446

-29.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,620 $1,620

$1,678 $1,678

-3.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 $3,022

$4,717 $4,717

-35.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,834 $2,834

$2,795 $2,795

1.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,775 $3,775

$2,650 $2,650

42.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,496 $4,496

$4,866 $4,866

-7.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

6.81

-2.94%

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

Last update for Longmont, CO: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Longmont, CO

$1.6K 52.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 3.6% $58

Groceries & Markets

Longmont, CO

$451 14.7%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 0.5% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Longmont, CO

$368 12%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 12.3% $45

Eating Out

Longmont, CO

$334 10.9%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 2.9% $9.5

Clothing & Footwear

Longmont, CO

$133 4.3%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 21.3% $28

Getting Around

Longmont, CO

$99 3.2%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 3.9% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Longmont, CO

$70 2.3%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 27.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,726 in Longmont, CO 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 8% 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 $80.0 in Longmont, CO versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $451 in Longmont, CO vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Longmont, CO

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

21:07 9:07 PM

22:07 10:07 PM

1 h ahead of Longmont, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

94,341

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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Highest

Between locations

Longmont, CO Chicago, IL 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Longmont, CO
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

Longmont, CO vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,075 in Longmont, CO, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,613 per month in Longmont, CO 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 Longmont, CO, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Longmont, CO and $90.0 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 $3,075 in Longmont, CO and $3,139 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 $3,075 in Longmont, CO to $3,139 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 Longmont, CO. 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.