Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Russellville, AR and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Russellville, AR: $2,562 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Russellville, AR
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Russellville, AR Living Index
146

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

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Russellville, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,562

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,562 per month in Russellville, AR vs $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Russellville, AR $2,562
Chicago, IL $3,072

A couple spends around $3,615 per month in Russellville, AR vs $4,545 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Russellville, AR $3,615
Chicago, IL $4,545

A family of three spends $4,668 per month in Russellville, AR vs $6,019 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Russellville, AR $4,668
Chicago, IL $6,019

Russellville, AR is about 17% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Russellville, AR and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Russellville, AR by 90%, Chicago, IL by 127%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.29 $16.29

$20.39 $20.39

-20.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.94 $36.94

$88.6 $88.6

-58.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 $9.92

$12.85 $12.85

-22.80%

Cappuccino

$4.91 $4.91

$5.78 $5.78

-15.05%

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

$2.29 $2.29

$2.74 $2.74

-16.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.26 $2.26

-23.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.85 $4.85

$6.88 $6.88

-29.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$9.24 $9.24

-22.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.26 $1.26

-12.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.55 $3.55

-42.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.56 $5.56

$5.38 $5.38

3.35%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.55 $4.55

-8.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 $15.10

$13.65 $13.65

10.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.34 $12.34

$14.07 $14.07

-12.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.88 $14.88

$18.06 $18.06

-17.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$5.16 $5.16

-17.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.98 $1.98

-27.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.88 $3.88

-7.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$4.83 $4.83

-25.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.81 $2.81

-3.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.67 $2.67

8.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.07 $2.07

-28.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$3.03 $3.03

-27.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.90 $8.90

$13.90 $13.90

-35.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.61 $13.61

$15.05 $15.05

-9.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.63 $2.63

-27.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 $4.80

$3.45 $3.45

39.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.43 $2.43

-9.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 $59.5

$75.3 $75.3

-21.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.17 $3.17

-35.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.70 $1.70

-28.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.20 $24.20

$24.90 $24.90

-2.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.28 $1.28

-23.44%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$35.8K $35.8K

-24.97%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.23%

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

$238 $238

$192 $192

23.76%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$69.6 $69.6

-22.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.7 $62.7

$62.2 $62.2

0.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.65 $35.65

$47.79 $47.79

-25.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 $9.85

$17.83 $17.83

-44.76%

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

$1,168 $1,168

$1,815 $1,815

-35.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K $20.8K

$40.6K $40.6K

-48.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.01 $42.01

$66.2 $66.2

-36.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.95 $29.95

$51.4 $51.4

-41.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$103 $103

10.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 $98.8

$143 $143

-30.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$722 $722

$2,531 $2,531

-71.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 $1,297

$1,621 $1,621

-19.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 $1,038

$4,828 $4,828

-78.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 $2,109

$2,734 $2,734

-22.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,553 $1,553

$4,163 $4,163

-62.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,545 $1,545

$2,723 $2,723

-43.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,658 $2,658

$4,924 $4,924

-46.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

-11.50%

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

Last update for Russellville, AR: November 3, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Russellville, AR

$1.3K 50.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8% 25% $324

Groceries & Markets

Russellville, AR

$377 14.7%

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3% 16.6% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Russellville, AR

$355 13.8%

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5% 8.7% $31

Eating Out

Russellville, AR

$274 10.7%

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2% 25.7% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Russellville, AR

$128 5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3% 27.5% $35

Getting Around

Russellville, AR

$76 3%

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2% 26.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Russellville, AR

$55 2.2%

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7% 50.8% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $722 in Russellville, AR versus $2,531 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 85% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Russellville, AR versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $377 vs $439 – making Russellville, AR the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Russellville, AR

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

02:59 2:59 AM

Same time as Russellville, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,014

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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Highest

Between locations

Russellville, AR Chicago, IL 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Russellville, AR
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

Russellville, AR vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,562 in Russellville, AR, $3,072 in Chicago, IL – Russellville, AR comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,843 per month in Russellville, AR and $4,608 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Russellville, AR, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $722 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Russellville, AR and $89 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 Russellville, AR, where all-in costs run around $2,562, than in Chicago, IL at $3,072. In Russellville, AR it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Russellville, AR – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Russellville, AR. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.