Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salt Lake City, UT and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Salt Lake City, UT: $2,701 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in Salt Lake City, UT
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Salt Lake City, UT Living Index
153

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

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Salt Lake City, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,701 per month in Salt Lake City, UT vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Salt Lake City, UT $2,701
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,887 per month in Salt Lake City, UT vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Salt Lake City, UT $3,887
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $5,074 per month in Salt Lake City, UT vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Salt Lake City, UT $5,074
Chicago, IL $6,077

Salt Lake City, UT is about 15% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Salt Lake City, UT and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Salt Lake City, UT by 100%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.33 $18.33

$21.58 $21.58

-15.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 $72.4

$88.7 $88.7

-18.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 $10.07

$13.20 $13.20

-23.71%

Cappuccino

$5.01 $5.01

$5.59 $5.59

-10.38%

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

$2.25 $2.25

$2.63 $2.63

-14.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.26 $2.26

-23.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$7.11 $7.11

-16.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 $7.90

$9.23 $9.23

-14.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.28 $1.28

-30.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.84 $3.84

-1.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$5.07 $5.07

-17.16%

Eggs

$4.19 $4.19

$4.84 $4.84

-13.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 $11.98

$14.17 $14.17

-15.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.05 $12.05

$14.61 $14.61

-17.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.00 $17.00

$18.76 $18.76

-9.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$5.19 $5.19

-22.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.00 $2.00

-28.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.00 $4.00

-7.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$4.98 $4.98

-22.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.79 $2.79

-20.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.65 $2.65

-7.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.13 $2.13

-12.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$3.09 $3.09

-39.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.02 $10.02

$16.05 $16.05

-37.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.75 $14.75

$15.20 $15.20

-2.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.62 $2.62

1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.46 $3.46

-5.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.47 $2.47

2.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.5 $86.5

$75.1 $75.1

15.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.21 $3.21

-22.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.39 $1.39

69.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.86 $24.86

$25.02 $25.02

-0.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.24 $1.24

-7.26%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$37.2K $37.2K

-2.16%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.8K $25.8K

-0.65%

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

$192 $192

-0.28%

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

$49.40 $49.40

$67.8 $67.8

-27.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.7 $78.7

$60.9 $60.9

29.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.13 $35.13

$53.6 $53.6

-34.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.90 $26.90

$27.90 $27.90

-3.58%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 $15.02

$17.80 $17.80

-15.62%

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

$1,282 $1,282

$1,554 $1,554

-17.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K $20.7K

$31.4K $31.4K

-34.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.4 $72.4

$67.9 $67.9

6.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.19 $46.19

$50.8 $50.8

-9.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$101 $101

8.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$143 $143

-23.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 $1,668

$2,383 $2,383

-30.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 $1,373

$1,712 $1,712

-19.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,887 $2,887

$4,674 $4,674

-38.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 $2,149

$2,738 $2,738

-21.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 $4,211

$4,158 $4,158

1.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,939 $2,939

$2,691 $2,691

9.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,197 $4,197

$4,894 $4,894

-14.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

6.77

-4.58%

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

Last update for Salt Lake City, UT: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salt Lake City, UT

$1.4K 50.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 24.6% $338

Groceries & Markets

Salt Lake City, UT

$381 14.1%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 18.4% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salt Lake City, UT

$320 11.8%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 0.4% $1.2

Eating Out

Salt Lake City, UT

$298 11%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 18.3% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Salt Lake City, UT

$152 5.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 7.6% $12

Getting Around

Salt Lake City, UT

$111 4.1%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 14.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Salt Lake City, UT

$65 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 36.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,668 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $2,383 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 17% 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 $72.0 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $381 vs $451 – making Salt Lake City, UT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, UT

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

17:27 5:27 PM

18:27 6:27 PM

1 h ahead of Salt Lake City, UT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,133

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Salt Lake City, UT Chicago, IL 2,020 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Salt Lake City, UT
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Salt Lake City, UT vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,701 in Salt Lake City, UT, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 18% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,051 per month in Salt Lake City, UT and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Salt Lake City, UT, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72.0 in Salt Lake City, UT and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,701 in Salt Lake City, UT and $3,185 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 $2,701 in Salt Lake City, UT to $3,185 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 Salt Lake City, 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.