Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow, ID and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Moscow, ID: $2,108 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in Moscow, ID
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Moscow, ID Living Index
147

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

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Moscow, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,108

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,108 per month in Moscow, ID vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Moscow, ID $2,108
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,438 per month in Moscow, ID vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Moscow, ID $3,438
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,768 per month in Moscow, ID vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Moscow, ID $4,768
Chicago, IL $5,999

Moscow, ID is about 31% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Moscow, ID and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Moscow, ID by 55%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.88 $8.88

$20.71 $20.71

-57.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 $64.1

$89.2 $89.2

-28.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.33 $6.33

$13.19 $13.19

-52.01%

Cappuccino

$3.16 $3.16

$5.66 $5.66

-44.17%

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

$1.31 $1.31

$2.64 $2.64

-50.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.28 $2.28

-13.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 $5.40

$6.87 $6.87

-21.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 $4.43

$8.84 $8.84

-49.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.25 $1.25

-19.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 $2.86

$3.72 $3.72

-23.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$5.39 $5.39

-25.60%

Eggs

$4.08 $4.08

$4.74 $4.74

-13.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 $19.34

$13.84 $13.84

39.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$14.40 $14.40

22.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.20 $20.20

$18.38 $18.38

9.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$5.22 $5.22

-5.36%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.98 $1.98

-57.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$4.06 $4.06

-23.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$4.97 $4.97

10.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.67 $2.67

-22.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.66 $2.66

-21.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.24 $2.24

-28.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.13 $3.13

-36.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.64 $8.64

$13.82 $13.82

-37.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.61 $12.61

$14.88 $14.88

-15.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.54 $2.54

-33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 $4.72

$3.51 $3.51

34.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.18 $3.18

26.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.08 $4.08

$1.39 $1.39

193.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.89 $49.89

$25.03 $25.03

99.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.20 $1.20

-17.50%

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

$32.9K $32.9K

$35.0K $35.0K

-5.96%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$26.7K $26.7K

6.79%

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

$271 $271

$194 $194

39.48%

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

$38.78 $38.78

$69.5 $69.5

-44.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 $71.6

$61.6 $61.6

16.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$143 $143

$47.90 $47.90

198.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$14.82 $14.82

$17.81 $17.81

-16.79%

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

$1,572 $1,572

$1,794 $1,794

-12.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K $21.1K

$31.9K $31.9K

-33.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.02 $30.02

$67.0 $67.0

-55.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.40 $39.40

$52.1 $52.1

-24.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 $83.4

$102 $102

-17.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.3 $60.3

$144 $144

-58.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$2,526 $2,526

-60.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$826 $826

$1,578 $1,578

-47.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,296 $2,296

$4,738 $4,738

-51.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,074 $2,074

$2,693 $2,693

-23.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,807 $2,807

$4,190 $4,190

-33.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,864 $2,864

$2,768 $2,768

3.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,953 $2,953

$4,931 $4,931

-40.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

6.81

-3.96%

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

Last update for Moscow, ID: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow, ID

$826 39.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 91% $752

Groceries & Markets

Moscow, ID

$431 20.4%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 3.8% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow, ID

$382 18.1%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 14.7% $56

Eating Out

Moscow, ID

$177 8.4%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 94.9% $168

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow, ID

$173 8.2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 51.6% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow, ID

$96 4.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 71% $68

Getting Around

Moscow, ID

$24 * 1.2%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 283% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,005 in Moscow, ID 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 67% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64 in Moscow, ID versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $431 vs $447 – making Moscow, ID the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Moscow, ID

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

07:51 7:51 AM

2 h ahead of Moscow, ID

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,352

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Moscow, ID Chicago, IL 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Moscow, ID
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

Moscow, ID vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,108 in Moscow, ID, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Moscow, ID comes out roughly 31% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,163 per month in Moscow, ID 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 Moscow, ID, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,005 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64 in Moscow, ID and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Moscow, ID, where all-in costs run around $2,108, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Moscow, ID it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Moscow, ID – 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 Moscow, ID. 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.