Cost of Living Comparison Between Rockford, IL and Chicago, IL Cost of Living Comparison Between Rockford, IL and Chicago, IL

๐Ÿ™‚ Solo nomad: Rockford, IL is 15.9% cheaper than Chicago, IL without rent, and 30.1% cheaper with rent.
๐Ÿ™‚ Family of 3: Rockford, IL is 20.1% cheaper than Chicago, IL without rent, and 37.9% cheaper with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Rockford, IL
Chicago, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.84 $14.84
$20.82 $20.82
-28.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.1 $65.1
$100 $100
-35.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.74 $8.74
$11.97 $11.97
-26.98%
Cappuccino
$5.22 $5.22
$5.56 $5.56
-6.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 $2.11
$3.11 $3.11
-32.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.39 $1.39
$2.42 $2.42
-42.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.93 $3.93
$6.86 $6.86
-42.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.13 $6.13
$8.45 $8.45
-27.46%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Rockford, IL
Chicago, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.67 $0.67
$1.04 $1.04
-35.58%
White Bread (500g)
$2.15 $2.15
$4.15 $4.15
-48.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.47 $4.47
$5.52 $5.52
-19.02%
Eggs
$1.65 $1.65
$4.65 $4.65
-64.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.71 $7.71
$14.33 $14.33
-46.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.35 $12.35
$14.88 $14.88
-17.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.01 $15.01
$19.34 $19.34
-22.39%
Apples (1kg)
$5.76 $5.76
$5.17 $5.17
11.41%
Banana (1kg)
$1.01 $1.01
$1.71 $1.71
-40.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.46 $4.46
$4.41 $4.41
1.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.86 $4.86
$4.51 $4.51
7.76%
Potato (1kg)
$2.17 $2.17
$2.53 $2.53
-14.23%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 $2.18
$2.74 $2.74
-20.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 $1.54
$2.43 $2.43
-36.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.74 $2.74
$2.7 $2.7
1.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.33 $10.33
$15.19 $15.19
-31.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.12 $20.12
$16.42 $16.42
22.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 $1.71
$2.35 $2.35
-27.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.4 $3.4
$3.7 $3.7
-8.11%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Rockford, IL
Chicago, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 $1.52
$2.53 $2.53
-39.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.4 $55.4
$74.1 $74.1
-25.25%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.77 $2.77
$3.34 $3.34
-17.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.56 $1.56
$1.42 $1.42
9.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.12 $21.12
$25.42 $25.42
-16.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.81 $0.81
$1.08 $1.08
-25.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.4K $29.4K
$32.4K $32.4K
-9.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$26.2K $26.2K
-0.04%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rockford, IL
Chicago, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$182 $182
$188 $188
-3.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$43.59 $43.59
$63.7 $63.7
-31.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$62.6 $62.6
$65.2 $65.2
-4.02%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Rockford, IL
Chicago, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.69 $44.69
$76.7 $76.7
-41.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$13.03 $13.03
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.6 $14.6
$14.93 $14.93
-2.21%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Rockford, IL
Chicago, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$507 $507
$2,063 $2,063
-75.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,047 $4,047
$39.2K $39.2K
-89.67%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Rockford, IL
Chicago, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.29 $42.29
$64.3 $64.3
-34.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.65 $44.65
$52.4 $52.4
-14.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.2 $81.2
$95.2 $95.2
-14.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.2 $94.2
$145 $145
-34.91%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Rockford, IL
Chicago, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,523 $1,523
$2,378 $2,378
-35.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$934 $934
$1,584 $1,584
-41.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,450 $1,450
$4,763 $4,763
-69.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,251 $1,251
$2,815 $2,815
-55.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,379 $1,379
$3,588 $3,588
-61.58%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,302 $1,302
$2,490 $2,490
-47.73%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Rockford, IL
Chicago, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,363 $3,363
$5,275 $5,275
-36.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.77
6.6
-12.58%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Rockford, IL: October 28, 2025

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 29, 2025

Join the CityCost newsletter โ€“ low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.