Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quincy, MA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,139 a month against $4,192 in Quincy, MA, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

201

Cost of Living Index in Quincy, MA
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Quincy, MA Living Index
152

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

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Quincy, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,192

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,192 per month in Quincy, MA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Quincy, MA $4,192
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $5,805 per month in Quincy, MA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Quincy, MA $5,805
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $7,419 per month in Quincy, MA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Quincy, MA $7,419
Chicago, IL $6,115

Quincy, MA costs about 34% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Quincy, MA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Quincy, MA by 209%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.05 $30.05

$20.65 $20.65

45.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 $121

$90.2 $90.2

33.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$12.94 $12.94

-6.18%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$5.60 $5.60

-8.21%

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

$2.83 $2.83

$2.64 $2.64

7.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.27 $2.27

7.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.14 $7.14

$6.98 $6.98

2.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 $8.16

$8.83 $8.83

-7.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.27 $1.27

-3.15%

White Bread (500g)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.80 $3.80

8.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$5.30 $5.30

-0.94%

Eggs

$4.85 $4.85

$4.76 $4.76

1.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 $11.40

$13.96 $13.96

-18.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.95 $14.95

$14.61 $14.61

2.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.74 $17.74

$18.77 $18.77

-5.49%

Apples (1kg)

$6.56 $6.56

$5.19 $5.19

26.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.98 $1.98

3.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.93 $3.93

73.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.73 $6.73

$4.96 $4.96

35.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.76 $2.76

27.54%

Onion (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.76 $2.76

48.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.22 $2.22

31.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 $1.55

$2.98 $2.98

-47.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.37 $13.37

$14.02 $14.02

-4.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 $14.20

$15.28 $15.28

-7.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.58 $2.58

-20.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 $4.13

$3.50 $3.50

18.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.47 $2.47

-2.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$74.8 $74.8

46.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.34 $3.34

-20.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.43 $1.43

19.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.31 $25.31

$24.32 $24.32

4.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.26 $1.26

-9.52%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.69%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.83%

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

$241 $241

$193 $193

25.01%

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

$56.1 $56.1

$68.3 $68.3

-17.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.4 $83.4

$61.3 $61.3

36.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.3 $80.3

$54.1 $54.1

48.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.8 $50.8

$27.92 $27.92

82.02%

Cinema Ticket

$14.94 $14.94

$17.74 $17.74

-15.78%

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

$1,811 $1,811

$1,652 $1,652

9.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,875 $9,875

$31.1K $31.1K

-68.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.0 $65.0

$66.1 $66.1

-1.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.30 $39.30

$51.2 $51.2

-23.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.4 $99.4

$100 $100

-0.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 $98.8

$141 $141

-29.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,446 $2,446

25.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,678 $1,678

52.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,612 $4,612

$4,717 $4,717

-2.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,629 $3,629

$2,795 $2,795

29.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,197 $3,197

$4,105 $4,105

-22.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,263 $1,263

$2,650 $2,650

-52.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,070 $6,070

$4,866 $4,866

24.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.81

-2.50%

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

Last update for Quincy, MA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quincy, MA

$2.6K 61.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 34.6% $887

Groceries & Markets

Quincy, MA

$458 10.9%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 1.9% $8.8

Eating Out

Quincy, MA

$412 9.8%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 16.6% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quincy, MA

$380 9.1%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 15.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Quincy, MA

$136 3.3%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 18.5% $25

Getting Around

Quincy, MA

$130 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 27.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Quincy, MA

$110 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 18.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,060 in Quincy, MA 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 25% higher in Quincy, MA, 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 $121 in Quincy, MA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $449 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Quincy, MA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

01:22 1:22 AM

00:22 12:22 AM

1 h behind Quincy, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,271

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

Quincy, MA Chicago, IL 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Quincy, MA
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

Quincy, MA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,192 in Quincy, MA, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 34% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,287 per month in Quincy, MA 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.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Quincy, MA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $121 in Quincy, MA and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,192 in Quincy, MA 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 $4,192 in Quincy, MA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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