Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Queen Creek, AZ and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,139 a month against $3,298 in Queen Creek, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Queen Creek, AZ outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

161

Cost of Living Index in Queen Creek, AZ
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Queen Creek, AZ Living Index
152

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

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Queen Creek, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,298

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,298 per month in Queen Creek, AZ vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Queen Creek, AZ $3,298
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,978 per month in Queen Creek, AZ vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Queen Creek, AZ $4,978
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $6,658 per month in Queen Creek, AZ vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Queen Creek, AZ $6,658
Chicago, IL $6,115

Queen Creek, AZ costs about 5% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Queen Creek, AZ and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Queen Creek, AZ by 143%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.47 $19.47

$20.65 $20.65

-5.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 $81.4

$90.2 $90.2

-9.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.74 $12.74

$12.94 $12.94

-1.55%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$5.60 $5.60

-8.21%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$2.64 $2.64

0.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.27 $2.27

-6.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.86 $6.86

$6.98 $6.98

-1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.54 $7.54

$8.83 $8.83

-14.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 $0.69

$1.27 $1.27

-45.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.80 $3.80

-35.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$5.30 $5.30

-60.38%

Eggs

$3.57 $3.57

$4.76 $4.76

-25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 $13.28

$13.96 $13.96

-4.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 $8.68

$14.61 $14.61

-40.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$18.77 $18.77

-7.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$5.19 $5.19

-10.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.98 $1.98

-10.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.93 $3.93

-35.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$4.96 $4.96

-43.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.76 $2.76

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.76 $2.76

-24.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 $1.30

$2.22 $2.22

-41.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.98 $2.98

-29.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.84 $10.84

$14.02 $14.02

-22.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.33 $9.33

$15.28 $15.28

-38.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.58 $2.58

-5.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.50 $3.50

2.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.34 $3.34

-15.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.43 $1.43

-2.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.30 $36.30

$24.32 $24.32

49.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.26 $1.26

-14.29%

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

$32.9K $32.9K

$35.0K $35.0K

-5.97%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

0.17%

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

$201 $201

$193 $193

4.49%

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

$61.9 $61.9

$68.3 $68.3

-9.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.2 $75.2

$61.3 $61.3

22.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.90 $24.90

$54.1 $54.1

-53.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.15 $15.15

$27.92 $27.92

-45.74%

Cinema Ticket

$13.04 $13.04

$17.74 $17.74

-26.49%

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

$597 $597

$1,652 $1,652

-63.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K $15.8K

$31.1K $31.1K

-49.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.08 $49.08

$66.1 $66.1

-25.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.72 $19.72

$51.2 $51.2

-61.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 $96.4

$100 $100

-3.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$141 $141

-19.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,791 $2,791

$2,446 $2,446

14.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,123 $2,123

$1,678 $1,678

26.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,004 $5,004

$4,717 $4,717

6.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,031 $4,031

$2,795 $2,795

44.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,028 $6,028

$4,866 $4,866

23.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

6.81

-5.43%

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

Last update for Queen Creek, AZ: 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

Queen Creek, AZ

$2.1K 64.4%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 21% $445

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Queen Creek, AZ

$338 10.3%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 4.8% $16

Groceries & Markets

Queen Creek, AZ

$326 9.9%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 37.8% $123

Eating Out

Queen Creek, AZ

$324 9.8%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 5.9% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Queen Creek, AZ

$125 3.8%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 28.8% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Queen Creek, AZ

$51 1.6%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 75.8% $39

Getting Around

Queen Creek, AZ

$9.8 * 0.3%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 874% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,791 in Queen Creek, AZ 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 24% higher in Queen Creek, AZ, 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 $81.0 in Queen Creek, AZ versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $449 – making Queen Creek, AZ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Queen Creek, AZ

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

23:01 11:01 PM

01:01 1:01 AM

2 h ahead of Queen Creek, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,519

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

Queen Creek, AZ Chicago, IL 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Queen Creek, AZ
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

Queen Creek, AZ vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,298 in Queen Creek, AZ, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,947 per month in Queen Creek, AZ 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 Chicago, IL, 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 $81.0 in Queen Creek, AZ and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 38% cheaper in Queen Creek, AZ – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,298 in Queen Creek, AZ 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 $3,139 in Chicago, IL to $3,298 in Queen Creek, AZ. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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