Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rock Springs, WY and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Rock Springs, WY: $2,444 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Rock Springs, WY
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Rock Springs, WY Living Index
152

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

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Rock Springs, WY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,444

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,444 per month in Rock Springs, WY vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Rock Springs, WY $2,444
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,553 per month in Rock Springs, WY vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Rock Springs, WY $3,553
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,662 per month in Rock Springs, WY vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Rock Springs, WY $4,662
Chicago, IL $6,115

Rock Springs, WY is about 22% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rock Springs, WY and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Rock Springs, WY by 80%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 $17.73

$20.65 $20.65

-14.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 $73.2

$90.2 $90.2

-18.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 $9.81

$12.94 $12.94

-24.19%

Cappuccino

$4.97 $4.97

$5.60 $5.60

-11.25%

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

$2.30 $2.30

$2.64 $2.64

-12.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.27 $2.27

-27.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 $4.90

$6.98 $6.98

-29.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 $5.84

$8.83 $8.83

-33.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.27 $1.27

-30.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 $3.95

$3.80 $3.80

3.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$5.30 $5.30

-66.04%

Eggs

$2.95 $2.95

$4.76 $4.76

-38.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.90 $10.90

$13.96 $13.96

-21.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.96 $9.96

$14.61 $14.61

-31.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.13 $17.13

$18.77 $18.77

-8.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$5.19 $5.19

-23.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.98 $1.98

-31.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.93 $3.93

-14.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$4.96 $4.96

-41.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.76 $2.76

-30.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.76 $2.76

-9.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.22 $2.22

-12.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.98 $2.98

-66.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.92 $8.92

$14.02 $14.02

-36.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.95 $14.95

$15.28 $15.28

-2.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.58 $2.58

1.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.50 $3.50

-6.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.47 $2.47

-30.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.34 $3.34

-26.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.43 $1.43

58.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.36 $25.36

$24.32 $24.32

4.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.26 $1.26

-19.84%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

-0.05%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$26.1K $26.1K

-7.98%

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

$197 $197

$193 $193

2.39%

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

$44.10 $44.10

$68.3 $68.3

-35.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.8 $79.8

$61.3 $61.3

30.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.29 $42.29

$54.1 $54.1

-21.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$15.05 $15.05

$17.74 $17.74

-15.16%

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

$1,294 $1,294

$1,652 $1,652

-21.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K $20.5K

$31.1K $31.1K

-34.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.17 $49.17

$66.1 $66.1

-25.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.34 $46.34

$51.2 $51.2

-9.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 $81.3

$100 $100

-18.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$141 $141

-24.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$791 $791

$2,446 $2,446

-67.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 $1,283

$1,678 $1,678

-23.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,519 $2,519

$4,717 $4,717

-46.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,113 $2,113

$2,795 $2,795

-24.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,563 $1,563

$4,105 $4,105

-61.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,608 $1,608

$2,650 $2,650

-39.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

6.81

-5.14%

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

Last update for Rock Springs, WY: October 18, 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 Springs, WY

$1.3K 52.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 30.8% $395

Groceries & Markets

Rock Springs, WY

$337 13.8%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 33.3% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rock Springs, WY

$321 13.1%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 0.3% $1.1

Eating Out

Rock Springs, WY

$283 11.6%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 21.4% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Rock Springs, WY

$127 5.2%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 26.7% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Rock Springs, WY

$72 3%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 23.8% $17

Getting Around

Rock Springs, WY

$21 * 0.9%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 360% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $791 in Rock Springs, WY 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 $73.0 in Rock Springs, WY versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $337 vs $449 – making Rock Springs, WY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rock Springs, WY

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

21:40 9:40 PM

22:40 10:40 PM

1 h ahead of Rock Springs, WY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,105

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Rock Springs, WY Chicago, IL 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Rock Springs, WY
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,444 in Rock Springs, WY, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,667 per month in Rock Springs, WY 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 Springs, WY, 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 $73.0 in Rock Springs, WY 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 33% 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 $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Rock Springs, WY, where all-in costs run around $2,444, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Rock Springs, WY 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 $2,444 in Rock Springs, WY to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Rock Springs, WY. 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.