Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Murfreesboro, TN and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Murfreesboro, TN: $2,308 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Murfreesboro, TN
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Murfreesboro, TN Living Index
153

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

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Murfreesboro, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,308

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,308 per month in Murfreesboro, TN vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Murfreesboro, TN $2,308
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,436 per month in Murfreesboro, TN vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Murfreesboro, TN $3,436
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $4,565 per month in Murfreesboro, TN vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Murfreesboro, TN $4,565
Chicago, IL $6,077

Murfreesboro, TN is about 28% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Murfreesboro, TN and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Murfreesboro, TN by 71%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 $17.68

$21.58 $21.58

-18.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 $74.3

$88.7 $88.7

-16.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 $9.80

$13.20 $13.20

-25.76%

Cappuccino

$5.40 $5.40

$5.59 $5.59

-3.40%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$2.63 $2.63

-2.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.26 $2.26

12.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 $3.89

$7.11 $7.11

-45.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 $6.03

$9.23 $9.23

-34.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.28 $1.28

-16.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.84 $3.84

-23.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$5.07 $5.07

-34.12%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$4.84 $4.84

-11.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 $10.04

$14.17 $14.17

-29.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 $9.45

$14.61 $14.61

-35.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.81 $14.81

$18.76 $18.76

-21.06%

Apples (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$5.19 $5.19

18.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$2.00 $2.00

-42.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$4.00 $4.00

-28.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$4.98 $4.98

-8.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.79 $2.79

-31.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.65 $2.65

3.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.13 $2.13

-3.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$3.09 $3.09

-48.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.15 $10.15

$16.05 $16.05

-36.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$15.20 $15.20

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.62 $2.62

-32.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.46 $3.46

-10.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.21 $3.21

59.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.39 $1.39

10.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.10 $30.10

$25.02 $25.02

20.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.24 $1.24

-29.03%

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

$32.7K $32.7K

$37.2K $37.2K

-12.07%

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

$23.0K $23.0K

$25.8K $25.8K

-10.98%

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

$221 $221

$192 $192

15.13%

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

$55.4 $55.4

$67.8 $67.8

-18.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 $54.6

$60.9 $60.9

-10.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.92 $24.92

$53.6 $53.6

-53.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.98 $29.98

$27.90 $27.90

7.46%

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 $14.74

$17.80 $17.80

-17.19%

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

$1,208 $1,208

$1,554 $1,554

-22.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K $24.1K

$31.4K $31.4K

-23.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 $50.2

$67.9 $67.9

-26.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.66 $44.66

$50.8 $50.8

-12.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 $89.6

$101 $101

-11.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$143 $143

-12.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,364 $1,364

$2,383 $2,383

-42.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 $1,135

$1,712 $1,712

-33.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,142 $2,142

$4,674 $4,674

-54.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,951 $1,951

$2,738 $2,738

-28.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 $2,805

$4,158 $4,158

-32.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,810 $2,810

$2,691 $2,691

4.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,190 $4,190

$4,894 $4,894

-14.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

6.77

-4.14%

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

Last update for Murfreesboro, TN: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Murfreesboro, TN

$1.1K 49.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 50.9% $577

Groceries & Markets

Murfreesboro, TN

$347 15.1%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 29.9% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Murfreesboro, TN

$331 14.4%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 3.1% $10

Eating Out

Murfreesboro, TN

$288 12.5%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 22.7% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Murfreesboro, TN

$139 6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 17.4% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Murfreesboro, TN

$54 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 63.9% $35

Getting Around

Murfreesboro, TN

$13 * 0.6%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 644% $82

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,364 in Murfreesboro, TN versus $2,383 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 17% 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 $74.0 in Murfreesboro, TN versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $347 vs $451 – making Murfreesboro, TN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Murfreesboro, TN

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

18:24 6:24 PM

Same time as Murfreesboro, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,118

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Murfreesboro, TN Chicago, IL 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Murfreesboro, TN
Chicago, IL

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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

Murfreesboro, TN vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,308 in Murfreesboro, TN, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 38% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,461 per month in Murfreesboro, TN and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Murfreesboro, TN, 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 $74.0 in Murfreesboro, TN and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% 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.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Murfreesboro, TN, where all-in costs run around $2,308, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In Murfreesboro, TN it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,308 in Murfreesboro, TN to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Murfreesboro, TN. 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.