Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Meridian, MS and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Meridian, MS: $2,649 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Meridian, MS
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Meridian, MS Living Index
152

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

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Meridian, MS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,649

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,649 per month in Meridian, MS vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Meridian, MS $2,649
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,910 per month in Meridian, MS vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Meridian, MS $3,910
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,171 per month in Meridian, MS vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Meridian, MS $5,171
Chicago, IL $6,115

Meridian, MS is about 16% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Meridian, MS and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Meridian, MS by 95%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.29 $26.29

$20.65 $20.65

27.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 $104

$90.2 $90.2

14.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 $10.54

$12.94 $12.94

-18.55%

Cappuccino

$4.03 $4.03

$5.60 $5.60

-28.04%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$2.64 $2.64

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.27 $2.27

-2.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$6.98 $6.98

-16.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 $7.88

$8.83 $8.83

-10.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.27 $1.27

-24.41%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 $4.18

$3.80 $3.80

10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$5.30 $5.30

-61.89%

Eggs

$3.87 $3.87

$4.76 $4.76

-18.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.33 $15.33

$13.96 $13.96

9.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.82 $8.82

$14.61 $14.61

-39.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.45 $15.45

$18.77 $18.77

-17.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$5.19 $5.19

-43.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.98 $1.98

-43.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.93 $3.93

-29.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$4.96 $4.96

-12.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.76 $2.76

-31.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.76 $2.76

14.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.22 $2.22

-5.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.98 $2.98

-10.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.94 $8.94

$14.02 $14.02

-36.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.72 $16.72

$15.28 $15.28

9.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.58 $2.58

-5.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.50 $3.50

14.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.47 $2.47

-29.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 $3.53

$3.34 $3.34

5.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.43 $1.43

4.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.41 $35.41

$24.32 $24.32

45.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.26 $1.26

-20.63%

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

$33.4K $33.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-4.55%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.1K $26.1K

1.11%

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

$263 $263

$193 $193

36.68%

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

$72.8 $72.8

$68.3 $68.3

6.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.9 $73.9

$61.3 $61.3

20.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.01 $44.01

$54.1 $54.1

-18.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$12.56 $12.56

$17.74 $17.74

-29.20%

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

$605 $605

$1,652 $1,652

-63.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K $10.1K

$31.1K $31.1K

-67.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 $57.1

$66.1 $66.1

-13.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.22 $43.22

$51.2 $51.2

-15.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 $86.0

$100 $100

-14.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$141 $141

-13.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 $1,581

$2,446 $2,446

-35.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 $1,288

$1,678 $1,678

-23.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,518 $2,518

$4,717 $4,717

-46.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,117 $2,117

$2,795 $2,795

-24.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,043 $3,043

$4,105 $4,105

-25.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,153 $2,153

$2,650 $2,650

-18.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,062 $4,062

$4,866 $4,866

-16.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.81

-2.20%

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

Last update for Meridian, MS: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Meridian, MS

$1.3K 48.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 30.2% $390

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Meridian, MS

$410 15.5%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 21.4% $88

Groceries & Markets

Meridian, MS

$372 14%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 20.9% $78

Eating Out

Meridian, MS

$353 13.3%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 2.7% $9.5

Clothing & Footwear

Meridian, MS

$139 5.2%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 16.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Meridian, MS

$69 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 29.6% $20

Getting Around

Meridian, MS

$18 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 428% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,581 in Meridian, MS 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 20% 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 $104 in Meridian, MS versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $372 in Meridian, MS vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Meridian, MS wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Meridian, MS

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

12:00 12:00 PM

Same time as Meridian, MS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,200

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

Meridian, MS Chicago, IL 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Meridian, MS
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

Meridian, MS vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,649 in Meridian, MS, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 18% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,973 per month in Meridian, MS 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 Meridian, MS, 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 $104 in Meridian, MS 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 21% 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.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,649 in Meridian, MS 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 $2,649 in Meridian, MS to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Meridian, MS. 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.