Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mountain Home, ID and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Mountain Home, ID: $2,430 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Mountain Home, ID
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Mountain Home, ID Living Index
152

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

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Mountain Home, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,430

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,430 per month in Mountain Home, ID vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Mountain Home, ID $2,430
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,678 per month in Mountain Home, ID vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Mountain Home, ID $3,678
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,927 per month in Mountain Home, ID vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Mountain Home, ID $4,927
Chicago, IL $6,115

Mountain Home, ID is about 23% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mountain Home, ID and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Mountain Home, ID by 79%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.76 $18.76

$20.65 $20.65

-9.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.5 $71.5

$90.2 $90.2

-20.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.64 $12.64

$12.94 $12.94

-2.32%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$5.60 $5.60

-0.89%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$2.64 $2.64

6.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.27 $2.27

-3.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.97 $5.97

$6.98 $6.98

-14.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 $6.48

$8.83 $8.83

-26.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.27 $1.27

-14.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.80 $3.80

-4.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$5.30 $5.30

-19.62%

Eggs

$4.22 $4.22

$4.76 $4.76

-11.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.80 $12.80

$13.96 $13.96

-8.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 $11.72

$14.61 $14.61

-19.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.77 $16.77

$18.77 $18.77

-10.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$5.19 $5.19

-5.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.98 $1.98

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$3.93 $3.93

6.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.96 $4.96

-6.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.76 $2.76

3.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.76 $2.76

8.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.22 $2.22

-1.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.98 $2.98

-14.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.22 $10.22

$14.02 $14.02

-27.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$15.28 $15.28

-2.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.58 $2.58

-22.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.50 $3.50

-1.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.47 $2.47

-8.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.34 $3.34

-20.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.43 $1.43

20.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.44 $26.44

$24.32 $24.32

8.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.26 $1.26

-5.56%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$35.0K $35.0K

-22.77%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

-1.62%

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

$196 $196

$193 $193

1.50%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$68.3 $68.3

-13.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.1 $70.1

$61.3 $61.3

14.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.47 $46.47

$54.1 $54.1

-14.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$13.81 $13.81

$17.74 $17.74

-22.15%

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

$1,333 $1,333

$1,652 $1,652

-19.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K $20.0K

$31.1K $31.1K

-35.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$66.1 $66.1

-19.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.22 $45.22

$51.2 $51.2

-11.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 $80.2

$100 $100

-19.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$141 $141

-14.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 $1,607

$2,446 $2,446

-34.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 $1,155

$1,678 $1,678

-31.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,354 $2,354

$4,717 $4,717

-50.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,133 $2,133

$2,795 $2,795

-23.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,447 $2,447

$4,105 $4,105

-40.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,373 $2,373

$2,650 $2,650

-10.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

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 Mountain Home, ID: 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

Mountain Home, ID

$1.2K 47.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 45.2% $523

Groceries & Markets

Mountain Home, ID

$403 16.6%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 11.4% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mountain Home, ID

$325 13.4%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 0.7% $2.3

Eating Out

Mountain Home, ID

$317 13.1%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 8.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Mountain Home, ID

$135 5.5%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 19.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Mountain Home, ID

$74 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 20.9% $16

Getting Around

Mountain Home, ID

$20 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 367% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,607 in Mountain Home, ID 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Mountain Home, ID versus $90 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $449 – making Mountain Home, ID the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mountain Home, ID

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

19:45 7:45 PM

1 h ahead of Mountain Home, ID

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,656

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mountain Home, ID Chicago, IL 2,290 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mountain Home, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,430 in Mountain Home, ID, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,645 per month in Mountain Home, ID 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 Mountain Home, ID, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,607 there versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Mountain Home, ID and $90 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% 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.

Families tend to lean toward Mountain Home, ID – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.