Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Charles, MO: $2,182 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Saint Charles, MO
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Saint Charles, MO Living Index
147

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

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Saint Charles, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,182

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,182 per month in Saint Charles, MO vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Saint Charles, MO $2,182
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,469 per month in Saint Charles, MO vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Saint Charles, MO $3,469
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,756 per month in Saint Charles, MO vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Saint Charles, MO $4,756
Chicago, IL $5,999

Saint Charles, MO is about 28% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Saint Charles, MO and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Saint Charles, MO by 60%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.78 $14.78

$20.71 $20.71

-28.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 $59.9

$89.2 $89.2

-32.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.08 $12.08

$13.19 $13.19

-8.42%

Cappuccino

$4.82 $4.82

$5.66 $5.66

-14.84%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$2.64 $2.64

1.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.28 $2.28

-19.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 $4.87

$6.87 $6.87

-29.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 $6.15

$8.84 $8.84

-30.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.25 $1.25

-36.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 $2.51

$3.72 $3.72

-32.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.31 $6.31

$5.39 $5.39

17.07%

Eggs

$3.22 $3.22

$4.74 $4.74

-32.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.48 $9.48

$13.84 $13.84

-31.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$14.40 $14.40

-54.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.76 $23.76

$18.38 $18.38

29.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$5.22 $5.22

-28.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.98 $1.98

10.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.18 $10.18

$4.06 $4.06

150.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$4.97 $4.97

3.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.67 $2.67

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.66 $2.66

46.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.24 $2.24

-10.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.13 $3.13

-30.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.50 $11.50

$13.82 $13.82

-16.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 $12.06

$14.88 $14.88

-18.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.54 $2.54

-27.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.51 $3.51

-23.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.09 $5.09

$2.43 $2.43

109.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.18 $3.18

-3.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.39 $1.39

22.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.01 $49.01

$25.03 $25.03

95.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.20 $1.20

-29.17%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

-22.13%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.55%

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

$326 $326

$194 $194

67.64%

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

$61.1 $61.1

$69.5 $69.5

-12.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.0 $76.0

$61.6 $61.6

23.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.34 $49.34

$47.90 $47.90

3.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$11.82 $11.82

$17.81 $17.81

-33.63%

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

$1,006 $1,006

$1,794 $1,794

-43.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 $68.8

$67.0 $67.0

2.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 $42.81

$52.1 $52.1

-17.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 $80.0

$102 $102

-21.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$144 $144

14.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 $1,516

$2,526 $2,526

-40.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 $793

$1,578 $1,578

-49.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,978 $1,978

$4,738 $4,738

-58.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,912 $1,912

$2,693 $2,693

-29.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,237 $4,237

$4,931 $4,931

-14.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.58

6.81

-3.38%

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

Last update for Saint Charles, MO: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Charles, MO

$793 36.4%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 98.9% $785

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Charles, MO

$463 21.2%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 29.7% $137

Groceries & Markets

Saint Charles, MO

$393 18%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 13.8% $54

Eating Out

Saint Charles, MO

$267 12.2%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 29.2% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Charles, MO

$160 7.4%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 2.3% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Charles, MO

$73 3.4%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 14.4% $11

Getting Around

Saint Charles, MO

$32 * 1.5%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 192% $61

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,516 in Saint Charles, MO versus $2,526 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 16% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Saint Charles, MO versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $393 vs $447 – making Saint Charles, MO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Charles, MO

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

Same time as Saint Charles, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,329

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Saint Charles, MO Chicago, IL 420 km

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,182 in Saint Charles, MO, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Saint Charles, MO comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,272 per month in Saint Charles, MO and $4,555 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, MO, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,516 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Saint Charles, MO and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Saint Charles, MO, where all-in costs run around $2,182, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Saint Charles, MO it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Saint Charles, MO – 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 Saint Charles, MO. 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.