Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Charles, IL and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Charles, IL: $2,710 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Saint Charles, IL
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Saint Charles, IL Living Index
152

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

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Saint Charles, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,710

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,710 per month in Saint Charles, IL vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Saint Charles, IL $2,710
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,230 per month in Saint Charles, IL vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Saint Charles, IL $4,230
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,749 per month in Saint Charles, IL vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Saint Charles, IL $5,749
Chicago, IL $6,115

Saint Charles, IL is about 14% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Saint Charles, IL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Saint Charles, IL by 100%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$38.02 $38.02

$20.65 $20.65

84.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.6 $99.6

$90.2 $90.2

10.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 $10.63

$12.94 $12.94

-17.85%

Cappuccino

$6.85 $6.85

$5.60 $5.60

22.32%

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

$3.37 $3.37

$2.64 $2.64

27.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.27 $2.27

35.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 $7.03

$6.98 $6.98

0.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.54 $7.54

$8.83 $8.83

-14.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.27 $1.27

-22.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.80 $3.80

-6.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$5.30 $5.30

-20.19%

Eggs

$4.57 $4.57

$4.76 $4.76

-3.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 $12.33

$13.96 $13.96

-11.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.47 $11.47

$14.61 $14.61

-21.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.85 $12.85

$18.77 $18.77

-31.54%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$5.19 $5.19

-2.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.98 $1.98

-48.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.93 $3.93

10.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$4.96 $4.96

-3.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.76 $2.76

-0.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.76 $2.76

10.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.22 $2.22

-29.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.98 $2.98

-25.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.41 $11.41

$14.02 $14.02

-18.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.12 $15.12

$15.28 $15.28

-1.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.58 $2.58

-25.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.50 $3.50

-1.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.47 $2.47

-18.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 $3.24

$3.34 $3.34

-2.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.43 $1.43

14.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.52 $32.52

$24.32 $24.32

33.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.26 $1.26

-21.43%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$35.0K $35.0K

-25.74%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.01%

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

$195 $195

$193 $193

1.41%

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

$66.6 $66.6

$68.3 $68.3

-2.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 $70.9

$61.3 $61.3

15.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.09 $43.09

$54.1 $54.1

-20.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 $14.74

$17.74 $17.74

-16.91%

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

$1,358 $1,358

$1,652 $1,652

-17.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.2K $26.2K

$31.1K $31.1K

-15.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$66.1 $66.1

-22.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.30 $39.30

$51.2 $51.2

-23.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 $75.7

$100 $100

-24.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$141 $141

-7.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 $1,800

$2,446 $2,446

-26.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 $1,277

$1,678 $1,678

-23.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 $2,543

$4,717 $4,717

-46.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,472 $2,472

$2,795 $2,795

-11.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,065 $3,065

$4,105 $4,105

-25.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,620 $2,620

$2,650 $2,650

-1.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.81

-3.52%

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

Last update for Saint Charles, IL: 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

Saint Charles, IL

$1.3K 47.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 31.4% $401

Eating Out

Saint Charles, IL

$494 18.2%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 30.5% $151

Groceries & Markets

Saint Charles, IL

$380 14%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 18.2% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Charles, IL

$333 12.3%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 3.2% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Charles, IL

$134 4.9%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 20.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Charles, IL

$73 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 23.5% $17

Getting Around

Saint Charles, IL

$20 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 388% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,800 in Saint Charles, 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 $100 in Saint Charles, IL versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $380 in Saint Charles, IL vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Saint Charles, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Charles, IL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

20:50 8:50 PM

Same time as Saint Charles, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,329

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

Saint Charles, IL Chicago, IL 57 km

From you

Saint Charles, IL
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

Saint Charles, IL vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,710 in Saint Charles, IL, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 16% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,065 per month in Saint Charles, 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 Saint Charles, 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 $100 in Saint Charles, 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 18% 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 $2,710 in Saint Charles, 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 $2,710 in Saint Charles, IL 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 Saint Charles, 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.