Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio Rancho, NM and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio Rancho, NM: $2,630 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Rio Rancho, NM
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Rio Rancho, NM Living Index
152

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

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Rio Rancho, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,630

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Rio Rancho, NM vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Rio Rancho, NM $2,630
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,841 per month in Rio Rancho, NM vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Rio Rancho, NM $3,841
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,053 per month in Rio Rancho, NM vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Rio Rancho, NM $5,053
Chicago, IL $6,115

Rio Rancho, NM is about 16% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rio Rancho, NM and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Rio Rancho, NM by 94%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 $17.15

$20.65 $20.65

-16.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.2 $78.2

$90.2 $90.2

-13.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.09 $12.09

$12.94 $12.94

-6.57%

Cappuccino

$5.64 $5.64

$5.60 $5.60

0.71%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$2.64 $2.64

11.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.27 $2.27

2.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$6.98 $6.98

-14.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 $6.92

$8.83 $8.83

-21.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.27 $1.27

-15.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.80 $3.80

-16.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$5.30 $5.30

-16.79%

Eggs

$4.26 $4.26

$4.76 $4.76

-10.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.01 $12.01

$13.96 $13.96

-13.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.57 $19.57

$14.61 $14.61

33.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.39 $18.39

$18.77 $18.77

-2.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$5.19 $5.19

4.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.98 $1.98

-18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$3.93 $3.93

1.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$4.96 $4.96

-16.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.76 $2.76

-59.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.76 $2.76

22.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.22 $2.22

-11.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.98 $2.98

-14.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.83 $10.83

$14.02 $14.02

-22.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.08 $16.08

$15.28 $15.28

5.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.58 $2.58

-20.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 $3.67

$3.50 $3.50

4.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.47 $2.47

-17.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 $50.3

$74.8 $74.8

-32.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.34 $3.34

-8.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.43 $1.43

-45.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.31 $32.31

$24.32 $24.32

32.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.26 $1.26

-19.84%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-15.44%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.1K $26.1K

-2.62%

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

$164 $164

$193 $193

-14.68%

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

$45.41 $45.41

$68.3 $68.3

-33.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.4 $71.4

$61.3 $61.3

16.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.19 $42.19

$54.1 $54.1

-22.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.49 $17.49

$17.74 $17.74

-1.41%

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

$1,343 $1,343

$1,652 $1,652

-18.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K $11.1K

$31.1K $31.1K

-64.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 $55.2

$66.1 $66.1

-16.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 $57.5

$51.2 $51.2

12.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 $79.8

$100 $100

-20.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$141 $141

-17.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$2,446 $2,446

-34.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 $1,323

$1,678 $1,678

-21.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,528 $2,528

$4,717 $4,717

-46.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,118 $2,118

$2,795 $2,795

-24.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,082 $3,082

$4,105 $4,105

-24.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,664 $2,664

$2,650 $2,650

0.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,915 $5,915

$4,866 $4,866

21.57%

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 Rio Rancho, NM: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio Rancho, NM

$1.3K 50.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 26.8% $355

Groceries & Markets

Rio Rancho, NM

$438 16.7%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 2.6% $11

Eating Out

Rio Rancho, NM

$306 11.6%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 12.3% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio Rancho, NM

$281 10.7%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 14.6% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Rio Rancho, NM

$139 5.3%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 15.9% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Rio Rancho, NM

$77 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 16.1% $12

Getting Around

Rio Rancho, NM

$65 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 45.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Rio Rancho, NM 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 22% higher in Rio Rancho, NM, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Rio Rancho, NM versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $438 vs $449 – making Rio Rancho, NM the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rio Rancho, NM

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

21:07 9:07 PM

22:07 10:07 PM

1 h ahead of Rio Rancho, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,660

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

Rio Rancho, NM Chicago, IL 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Rio Rancho, NM
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

Rio Rancho, NM vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,630 in Rio Rancho, NM, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,945 per month in Rio Rancho, NM 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 Rio Rancho, NM, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Rio Rancho, NM 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 $2,630 in Rio Rancho, NM 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 $2,630 in Rio Rancho, NM to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Rio Rancho, NM. 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.