Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Fe, NM and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Fe, NM: $2,894 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Santa Fe, NM
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Santa Fe, NM Living Index
153

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

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Santa Fe, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,894

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,894 per month in Santa Fe, NM vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Santa Fe, NM $2,894
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,911 per month in Santa Fe, NM vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Santa Fe, NM $3,911
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $4,928 per month in Santa Fe, NM vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Santa Fe, NM $4,928
Chicago, IL $6,077

Santa Fe, NM is about 9% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Santa Fe, NM and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Santa Fe, NM by 114%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 $16.86

$21.58 $21.58

-21.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 $67.0

$88.7 $88.7

-24.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.13 $10.13

$13.20 $13.20

-23.26%

Cappuccino

$5.06 $5.06

$5.59 $5.59

-9.48%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$2.63 $2.63

7.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.26 $2.26

8.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 $6.02

$7.11 $7.11

-15.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 $6.87

$9.23 $9.23

-25.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.28 $1.28

-21.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.84 $3.84

-18.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$5.07 $5.07

-11.44%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.84 $4.84

-10.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.69 $11.69

$14.17 $14.17

-17.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.59 $9.59

$14.61 $14.61

-34.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.08 $17.08

$18.76 $18.76

-8.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$5.19 $5.19

-7.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.00 $2.00

-25.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$4.00 $4.00

-2.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$4.98 $4.98

-9.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.79 $2.79

11.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.65 $2.65

-21.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.13 $2.13

-3.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.09 $3.09

-17.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 $10.44

$16.05 $16.05

-34.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.87 $15.87

$15.20 $15.20

4.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.62 $2.62

-21.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.46 $3.46

6.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 $3.68

$3.21 $3.21

14.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.39 $1.39

44.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.18 $32.18

$25.02 $25.02

28.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.24 $1.24

-17.74%

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

$31.3K $31.3K

$37.2K $37.2K

-15.85%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$25.8K $25.8K

-2.49%

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

$159 $159

$192 $192

-17.09%

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

$44.72 $44.72

$67.8 $67.8

-34.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.1 $72.1

$60.9 $60.9

18.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.5 $85.5

$53.6 $53.6

59.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$13.02 $13.02

$17.80 $17.80

-26.85%

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

$1,359 $1,359

$1,554 $1,554

-12.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K $15.4K

$31.4K $31.4K

-50.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 $55.3

$67.9 $67.9

-18.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.36 $44.36

$50.8 $50.8

-12.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 $78.7

$101 $101

-22.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$143 $143

-17.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,270 $2,270

$2,383 $2,383

-4.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 $1,684

$1,712 $1,712

-1.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,511 $3,511

$4,674 $4,674

-24.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 $2,271

$2,738 $2,738

-17.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,793 $6,793

$4,158 $4,158

63.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,075 $4,075

$2,691 $2,691

51.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,776 $3,776

$4,894 $4,894

-22.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.77

-2.95%

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

Last update for Santa Fe, NM: 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

Santa Fe, NM

$1.7K 58.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 1.6% $28

Groceries & Markets

Santa Fe, NM

$384 13.3%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 17.6% $68

Eating Out

Santa Fe, NM

$291 10.1%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 21.3% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Fe, NM

$276 9.6%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 16.2% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Fe, NM

$133 4.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 22.6% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Fe, NM

$112 3.9%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 20% $22

Getting Around

Santa Fe, NM

$14 * 0.5%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 593% $81

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,270 in Santa Fe, NM 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 30% 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 $67.0 in Santa Fe, NM versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $451 – making Santa Fe, NM the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Fe, NM

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

11:23 11:23 AM

12:23 12:23 PM

1 h ahead of Santa Fe, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,505

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Fe, NM Chicago, IL 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Santa Fe, NM
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

Santa Fe, NM vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,894 in Santa Fe, NM, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,341 per month in Santa Fe, NM 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 Santa Fe, NM, 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 $67.0 in Santa Fe, NM and $89.0 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 $2,894 in Santa Fe, NM 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 $2,894 in Santa Fe, NM to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Fe, NM. 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.