Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milton, DE and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Milton, DE: $2,655 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Milton, DE
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Milton, DE Living Index
147

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

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Milton, DE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,655

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,655 per month in Milton, DE vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Milton, DE $2,655
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,869 per month in Milton, DE vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Milton, DE $3,869
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,082 per month in Milton, DE vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Milton, DE $5,082
Chicago, IL $5,999

Milton, DE is about 13% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Milton, DE and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Milton, DE by 95%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.90 $22.90

$20.71 $20.71

10.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.2 $72.2

$89.2 $89.2

-19.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 $11.75

$13.19 $13.19

-10.92%

Cappuccino

$5.57 $5.57

$5.66 $5.66

-1.59%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$2.64 $2.64

-1.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.28 $2.28

-8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.27 $6.27

$6.87 $6.87

-8.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 $7.95

$8.84 $8.84

-10.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.25 $1.25

-18.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.72 $3.72

-4.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$5.39 $5.39

-20.04%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$4.74 $4.74

-14.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 $12.59

$13.84 $13.84

-9.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 $11.86

$14.40 $14.40

-17.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.29 $17.29

$18.38 $18.38

-5.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$5.22 $5.22

-2.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.98 $1.98

-21.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.06 $4.06

6.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$4.97 $4.97

-8.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.67 $2.67

6.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.66 $2.66

13.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.24 $2.24

-2.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$3.13 $3.13

-26.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.30 $10.30

$13.82 $13.82

-25.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.17 $15.17

$14.88 $14.88

1.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.54 $2.54

-21.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.51 $3.51

-5.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.43 $2.43

-16.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.0 $60.0

$73.5 $73.5

-18.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 $3.12

$3.18 $3.18

-1.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.39 $1.39

21.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.33 $30.33

$25.03 $25.03

21.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.20 $1.20

-16.67%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-18.85%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.52%

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

$204 $204

$194 $194

4.90%

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

$57.1 $57.1

$69.5 $69.5

-17.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$61.6 $61.6

14.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.54 $39.54

$47.90 $47.90

-17.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.47 $40.47

$27.34 $27.34

48.02%

Cinema Ticket

$14.20 $14.20

$17.81 $17.81

-20.27%

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

$1,374 $1,374

$1,794 $1,794

-23.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$31.9K $31.9K

-26.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 $52.4

$67.0 $67.0

-21.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.77 $41.77

$52.1 $52.1

-19.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 $89.1

$102 $102

-12.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$144 $144

-21.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 $1,582

$2,526 $2,526

-37.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 $1,291

$1,578 $1,578

-18.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,567 $2,567

$4,738 $4,738

-45.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,064 $2,064

$2,693 $2,693

-23.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,838 $2,838

$4,190 $4,190

-32.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,326 $2,326

$2,768 $2,768

-15.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,888 $3,888

$4,931 $4,931

-21.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.81

-3.52%

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

Last update for Milton, DE: 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

Milton, DE

$1.3K 48.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 22.3% $287

Groceries & Markets

Milton, DE

$401 15.1%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 11.5% $46

Eating Out

Milton, DE

$351 13.2%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 1.8% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milton, DE

$332 12.5%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 1.9% $6.2

Clothing & Footwear

Milton, DE

$133 5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 23.2% $31

Getting Around

Milton, DE

$80 3%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 17.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Milton, DE

$68 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 23% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,582 in Milton, DE 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 27% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Milton, DE versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $447 – making Milton, DE the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Milton, DE

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

17:07 5:07 PM

1 h behind Milton, DE

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,902

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Milton, DE Chicago, IL 1,100 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Milton, DE
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

Milton, DE vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,655 in Milton, DE, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Milton, DE comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,983 per month in Milton, DE 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 Milton, DE, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,582 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Milton, DE 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 $2,655 in Milton, DE 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 Milton, DE – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Milton, DE. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.