Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rock Island, IL and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Rock Island, IL: $2,664 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Rock Island, IL
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Rock Island, IL Living Index
152

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

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Rock Island, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,664

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,664 per month in Rock Island, IL vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Rock Island, IL $2,664
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,843 per month in Rock Island, IL vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Rock Island, IL $3,843
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,023 per month in Rock Island, IL vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Rock Island, IL $5,023
Chicago, IL $6,115

Rock Island, IL is about 15% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rock Island, IL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Rock Island, IL by 97%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.07 $20.07

$20.65 $20.65

-2.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 $67.2

$90.2 $90.2

-25.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 $12.84

$12.94 $12.94

-0.77%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$5.60 $5.60

5.36%

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

$3.14 $3.14

$2.64 $2.64

18.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.27 $2.27

5.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 $7.08

$6.98 $6.98

1.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 $7.97

$8.83 $8.83

-9.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.27 $1.27

-25.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.80 $3.80

-7.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$5.30 $5.30

-20.19%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$4.76 $4.76

-22.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 $15.09

$13.96 $13.96

8.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.15 $13.15

$14.61 $14.61

-9.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.09 $20.09

$18.77 $18.77

7.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$5.19 $5.19

-8.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.98 $1.98

-17.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$3.93 $3.93

31.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$4.96 $4.96

-3.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.76 $2.76

1.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.76 $2.76

13.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.22 $2.22

-2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.98 $2.98

-18.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 $10.72

$14.02 $14.02

-23.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.51 $15.51

$15.28 $15.28

1.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.58 $2.58

3.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.50 $3.50

24.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.47 $2.47

-26.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.34 $3.34

18.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.43 $1.43

39.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.24 $44.24

$24.32 $24.32

81.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.26 $1.26

-20.63%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

-10.93%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

-1.68%

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

$267 $267

$193 $193

38.52%

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

$52.3 $52.3

$68.3 $68.3

-23.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.6 $80.6

$61.3 $61.3

31.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.16 $45.16

$54.1 $54.1

-16.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$15.12 $15.12

$17.74 $17.74

-14.77%

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

$1,719 $1,719

$1,652 $1,652

4.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$31.1K $31.1K

-23.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 $64.5

$66.1 $66.1

-2.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 $50.9

$51.2 $51.2

-0.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$100 $100

7.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$141 $141

-15.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 $1,812

$2,446 $2,446

-25.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 $1,239

$1,678 $1,678

-26.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,614 $2,614

$4,717 $4,717

-44.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 $2,021

$2,795 $2,795

-27.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,912 $2,912

$4,105 $4,105

-29.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 $2,284

$2,650 $2,650

-13.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.81

-1.76%

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

Last update for Rock Island, IL: 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

Rock Island, IL

$1.2K 46.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 35.5% $439

Groceries & Markets

Rock Island, IL

$431 16.2%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 4.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rock Island, IL

$400 15%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 19.4% $78

Eating Out

Rock Island, IL

$343 12.9%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 0% $0

Clothing & Footwear

Rock Island, IL

$154 5.8%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 4.5% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Rock Island, IL

$75 2.8%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 18.8% $14

Getting Around

Rock Island, IL

$21 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 349% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,812 in Rock Island, IL 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Rock Island, IL versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $431 vs $449 – making Rock Island, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rock Island, IL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

20:00 8:00 PM

Same time as Rock Island, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,108

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

Rock Island, IL Chicago, IL 250 km

From you

Rock Island, IL
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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

Rock Island, IL vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,664 in Rock Island, IL, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 18% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,995 per month in Rock Island, IL 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 Rock Island, 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 $67.0 in Rock Island, IL and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,664 in Rock Island, IL 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 $2,664 in Rock Island, IL to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Rock Island, IL. 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.