Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint George, UT and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint George, UT: $2,435 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Saint George, UT
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Saint George, UT Living Index
147

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

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Saint George, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,435

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,435 per month in Saint George, UT vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Saint George, UT $2,435
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,277 per month in Saint George, UT vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Saint George, UT $3,277
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,120 per month in Saint George, UT vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Saint George, UT $4,120
Chicago, IL $5,999

Saint George, UT is about 20% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Saint George, UT and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Saint George, UT by 79%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.31 $13.31

$20.71 $20.71

-35.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 $69.2

$89.2 $89.2

-22.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 $9.83

$13.19 $13.19

-25.47%

Cappuccino

$4.69 $4.69

$5.66 $5.66

-17.14%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$2.64 $2.64

3.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.28 $2.28

3.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.33 $7.33

$6.87 $6.87

6.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 $8.22

$8.84 $8.84

-7.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.25 $1.25

-26.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.72 $3.72

-19.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$5.39 $5.39

-15.03%

Eggs

$4.46 $4.46

$4.74 $4.74

-5.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 $13.15

$13.84 $13.84

-4.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 $8.93

$14.40 $14.40

-37.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 $11.67

$18.38 $18.38

-36.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$5.22 $5.22

-15.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.98 $1.98

-27.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.06 $4.06

-8.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$4.97 $4.97

-33.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.67 $2.67

-29.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.66 $2.66

-12.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.24 $2.24

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$3.13 $3.13

-30.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$13.82 $13.82

-29.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 $11.03

$14.88 $14.88

-25.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.54 $2.54

-31.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.51 $3.51

-17.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 $3.68

$3.18 $3.18

15.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.39 $1.39

94.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.36 $34.36

$25.03 $25.03

37.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.20 $1.20

-10.00%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

7.46%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$26.7K $26.7K

3.98%

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

$131 $131

$194 $194

-32.67%

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

$76.0 $76.0

$69.5 $69.5

9.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 $71.3

$61.6 $61.6

15.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.51 $29.51

$47.90 $47.90

-38.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$13.13 $13.13

$17.81 $17.81

-26.28%

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

$597 $597

$1,794 $1,794

-66.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K $25.4K

$31.9K $31.9K

-20.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.51 $45.51

$67.0 $67.0

-32.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.18 $36.18

$52.1 $52.1

-30.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 $82.9

$102 $102

-18.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.2 $95.2

$144 $144

-33.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 $1,548

$2,526 $2,526

-38.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 $1,365

$1,578 $1,578

-13.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,083 $2,083

$4,738 $4,738

-56.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 $1,721

$2,693 $2,693

-36.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,106 $3,106

$4,190 $4,190

-25.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,768 $2,768

14.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,065 $4,065

$4,931 $4,931

-17.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

6.81

-3.96%

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

Last update for Saint George, UT: October 26, 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 George, UT

$1.4K 56%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 15.6% $213

Groceries & Markets

Saint George, UT

$337 13.8%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 32.7% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint George, UT

$278 11.4%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 17% $47

Eating Out

Saint George, UT

$266 10.9%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 29.8% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Saint George, UT

$117 4.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 40.3% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Saint George, UT

$56 2.3%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 49.7% $28

Getting Around

Saint George, UT

$17 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 442% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,548 in Saint George, UT 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 21% 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 $69 in Saint George, UT versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $337 vs $447 – making Saint George, UT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint George, UT

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

03:41 3:41 AM

04:41 4:41 AM

1 h ahead of Saint George, UT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,342

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 George, UT Chicago, IL 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint George, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,435 in Saint George, UT, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Saint George, UT comes out roughly 20% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,653 per month in Saint George, UT 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 George, UT, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,548 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Saint George, UT 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 33% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,435 in Saint George, UT and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Saint George, UT – 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 George, UT. 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.