Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roanoke, VA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Roanoke, VA: $2,212 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Roanoke, VA
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Roanoke, VA Living Index
153

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

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Roanoke, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,212

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,212 per month in Roanoke, VA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Roanoke, VA $2,212
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,269 per month in Roanoke, VA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Roanoke, VA $3,269
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $4,325 per month in Roanoke, VA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Roanoke, VA $4,325
Chicago, IL $6,077

Roanoke, VA is about 31% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Roanoke, VA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Roanoke, VA by 64%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.35 $17.35

$21.58 $21.58

-19.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.3 $55.3

$88.7 $88.7

-37.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 $11.82

$13.20 $13.20

-10.45%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$5.59 $5.59

-3.22%

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

$2.35 $2.35

$2.63 $2.63

-10.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.26 $2.26

5.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.55 $4.55

$7.11 $7.11

-36.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 $7.20

$9.23 $9.23

-21.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.28 $1.28

-31.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.84 $3.84

-23.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.07 $5.07

-14.60%

Eggs

$3.36 $3.36

$4.84 $4.84

-30.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.26 $14.26

$14.17 $14.17

0.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 $10.34

$14.61 $14.61

-29.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 $16.97

$18.76 $18.76

-9.54%

Apples (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$5.19 $5.19

2.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$2.00 $2.00

-42.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$4.00 $4.00

-6.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$4.98 $4.98

-7.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.79 $2.79

-19.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$2.65 $2.65

20.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.13 $2.13

2.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$3.09 $3.09

-33.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.21 $9.21

$16.05 $16.05

-42.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 $12.15

$15.20 $15.20

-20.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.62 $2.62

-35.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.46 $3.46

-57.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.47 $2.47

-27.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 $114

$75.1 $75.1

51.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 $0.60

$1.39 $1.39

-56.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.24 $1.24

-25.00%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$37.2K $37.2K

-0.96%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$25.8K $25.8K

-1.98%

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

$123 $123

$192 $192

-35.85%

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

$55.0 $55.0

$67.8 $67.8

-18.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$60.9 $60.9

5.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.84 $37.84

$53.6 $53.6

-29.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.91 $22.91

$27.90 $27.90

-17.89%

Cinema Ticket

$12.93 $12.93

$17.80 $17.80

-27.36%

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

$572 $572

$1,554 $1,554

-63.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.07 $45.07

$67.9 $67.9

-33.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.44 $34.44

$50.8 $50.8

-32.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 $90.3

$101 $101

-10.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$143 $143

-6.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,178 $1,178

$2,383 $2,383

-50.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$982 $982

$1,712 $1,712

-42.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 $1,765

$4,674 $4,674

-62.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 $1,601

$2,738 $2,738

-41.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,999 $1,999

$4,158 $4,158

-51.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 $1,963

$2,691 $2,691

-27.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,312 $3,312

$4,894 $4,894

-32.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.77

0.59%

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

Last update for Roanoke, VA: 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

Roanoke, VA

$982 44.4%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 74.4% $730

Groceries & Markets

Roanoke, VA

$368 16.7%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 22.5% $83

Eating Out

Roanoke, VA

$295 13.3%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 19.5% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Roanoke, VA

$243 11%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 32.2% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Roanoke, VA

$137 6.2%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 19.6% $27

Getting Around

Roanoke, VA

$124 * 5.6%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 23.4% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Roanoke, VA

$64 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 40% $25

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,178 in Roanoke, VA 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 48% 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 $55.0 in Roanoke, VA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $451 – making Roanoke, VA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Roanoke, VA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

05:43 5:43 AM

04:43 4:43 AM

1 h behind Roanoke, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

99,837

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Roanoke, VA Chicago, IL 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Roanoke, VA
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

Roanoke, VA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,212 in Roanoke, VA, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 44% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,319 per month in Roanoke, VA 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 Roanoke, VA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% 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 $55.0 in Roanoke, VA and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Roanoke, VA, where all-in costs run around $2,212, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In Roanoke, VA 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 $2,212 in Roanoke, VA to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Roanoke, VA. 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.