Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roy, UT and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Roy, UT: $2,272 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Roy, UT
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Roy, UT Living Index
152

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

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Roy, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,272

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,272 per month in Roy, UT vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Roy, UT $2,272
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,291 per month in Roy, UT vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Roy, UT $3,291
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,311 per month in Roy, UT vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Roy, UT $4,311
Chicago, IL $6,115

Roy, UT is about 28% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Roy, UT and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Roy, UT by 68%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.07 $18.07

$20.65 $20.65

-12.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 $73.8

$90.2 $90.2

-18.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 $9.94

$12.94 $12.94

-23.18%

Cappuccino

$5.16 $5.16

$5.60 $5.60

-7.86%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$2.64 $2.64

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.27 $2.27

-26.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 $5.84

$6.98 $6.98

-16.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.11 $8.11

$8.83 $8.83

-8.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 $0.62

$1.27 $1.27

-51.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.80 $3.80

-30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$5.30 $5.30

-24.34%

Eggs

$3.47 $3.47

$4.76 $4.76

-27.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.82 $11.82

$13.96 $13.96

-15.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 $12.02

$14.61 $14.61

-17.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 $10.81

$18.77 $18.77

-42.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$5.19 $5.19

-19.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.98 $1.98

-27.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$3.93 $3.93

-4.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$4.96 $4.96

-17.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.76 $2.76

-15.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.76 $2.76

-11.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.22 $2.22

-13.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.98 $2.98

-35.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.15 $10.15

$14.02 $14.02

-27.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 $15.03

$15.28 $15.28

-1.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.58 $2.58

2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.50 $3.50

-6.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.47 $2.47

-17.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.14 $44.14

$74.8 $74.8

-40.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 $2.57

$3.34 $3.34

-23.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.43 $1.43

56.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.02 $13.02

$24.32 $24.32

-46.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.26 $1.26

-18.25%

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

$34.3K $34.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

-2.16%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.1K $26.1K

0.69%

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

$192 $192

$193 $193

-0.52%

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

$49.23 $49.23

$68.3 $68.3

-27.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.2 $80.2

$61.3 $61.3

30.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.01 $42.01

$54.1 $54.1

-22.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.01 $15.01

$27.92 $27.92

-46.24%

Cinema Ticket

$10.85 $10.85

$17.74 $17.74

-38.84%

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

$1,329 $1,329

$1,652 $1,652

-19.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K $21.0K

$31.1K $31.1K

-32.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.54 $39.54

$66.1 $66.1

-40.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.97 $24.97

$51.2 $51.2

-51.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 $89.4

$100 $100

-10.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$141 $141

-24.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 $1,285

$2,446 $2,446

-47.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,059 $1,059

$1,678 $1,678

-36.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,733 $1,733

$4,717 $4,717

-63.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,648 $1,648

$2,795 $2,795

-41.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,753 $2,753

$4,105 $4,105

-32.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,391 $2,391

$2,650 $2,650

-9.75%

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 Roy, UT: 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

Roy, UT

$1.1K 46.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 58.4% $619

Groceries & Markets

Roy, UT

$348 15.3%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 29.2% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Roy, UT

$321 14.1%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 0.3% $1.1

Eating Out

Roy, UT

$297 13.1%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 15.6% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Roy, UT

$117 5.2%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 37.6% $44

Getting Around

Roy, UT

$66 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 43.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Roy, UT

$64 2.8%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 40.6% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Roy, UT 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 $74.0 in Roy, UT versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $348 vs $449 – making Roy, UT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Roy, UT

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

05:37 5:37 AM

06:37 6:37 AM

1 h ahead of Roy, UT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,306

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

Roy, UT Chicago, IL 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Roy, UT
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

Roy, UT vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,272 in Roy, UT, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 38% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,408 per month in Roy, UT 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 Roy, UT, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% 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 $74.0 in Roy, UT and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Roy, UT, where all-in costs run around $2,272, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Roy, UT 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 $2,272 in Roy, UT to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Roy, UT. 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.