Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saratoga Springs, UT, and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Saratoga Springs, UT,: $2,455 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Saratoga Springs, UT,
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Saratoga Springs, UT, Living Index
153

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

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Saratoga Springs, UT,

🇺🇸 United States

$2,455

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,455 per month in Saratoga Springs, UT, vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Saratoga Springs, UT, $2,455
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,722 per month in Saratoga Springs, UT, vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Saratoga Springs, UT, $3,722
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $4,988 per month in Saratoga Springs, UT, vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Saratoga Springs, UT, $4,988
Chicago, IL $6,077

Saratoga Springs, UT, is about 23% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Saratoga Springs, UT, and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Saratoga Springs, UT, by 82%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.11 $20.11

$21.58 $21.58

-6.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$88.7 $88.7

-8.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.56 $11.56

$13.20 $13.20

-12.42%

Cappuccino

$5.21 $5.21

$5.59 $5.59

-6.80%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$2.63 $2.63

2.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.26 $2.26

-10.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.06 $6.06

$7.11 $7.11

-14.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 $7.32

$9.23 $9.23

-20.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.28 $1.28

-24.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.84 $3.84

-8.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$5.07 $5.07

-49.90%

Eggs

$4.65 $4.65

$4.84 $4.84

-3.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 $16.52

$14.17 $14.17

16.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.49 $13.49

$14.61 $14.61

-7.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 $14.32

$18.76 $18.76

-23.67%

Apples (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.19 $5.19

25.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.00 $2.00

-21.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.72 $5.72

$4.00 $4.00

43.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.98 $4.98

-5.82%

Potato (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.79 $2.79

69.53%

Onion (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$2.65 $2.65

58.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.13 $2.13

-10.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.09 $3.09

-2.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.52 $8.52

$16.05 $16.05

-46.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.20 $15.20

-2.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.62 $2.62

-31.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.46 $3.46

1.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.47 $2.47

-17.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.60 $45.60

$75.1 $75.1

-39.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.21 $3.21

-4.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.39 $1.39

37.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.13 $31.13

$25.02 $25.02

24.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.24 $1.24

-8.87%

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

$31.6K $31.6K

$37.2K $37.2K

-15.14%

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

$22.0K $22.0K

$25.8K $25.8K

-14.94%

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

$202 $202

$192 $192

5.25%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$67.8 $67.8

-13.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$60.9 $60.9

14.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.1 $65.1

$53.6 $53.6

21.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 $10.83

$17.80 $17.80

-39.16%

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

$1,393 $1,393

$1,554 $1,554

-10.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K $21.1K

$31.4K $31.4K

-32.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 $54.0

$67.9 $67.9

-20.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.82 $40.82

$50.8 $50.8

-19.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 $88.2

$101 $101

-13.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$143 $143

-20.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 $1,184

$2,383 $2,383

-50.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 $1,082

$1,712 $1,712

-36.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 $2,042

$4,674 $4,674

-56.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,933 $1,933

$2,738 $2,738

-29.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,527 $2,527

$4,158 $4,158

-39.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,543 $2,543

$2,691 $2,691

-5.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,863 $4,863

$4,894 $4,894

-0.64%

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 Saratoga Springs, UT,: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saratoga Springs, UT,

$1.1K 44.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 58.2% $630

Groceries & Markets

Saratoga Springs, UT,

$434 17.7%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 3.9% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saratoga Springs, UT,

$331 13.5%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 3% $9.8

Eating Out

Saratoga Springs, UT,

$322 13.1%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 9.6% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Saratoga Springs, UT,

$133 5.4%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 22.7% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Saratoga Springs, UT,

$87 3.5%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 2.8% $2.4

Getting Around

Saratoga Springs, UT,

$66 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 43.3% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,184 in Saratoga Springs, 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 1% 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 $81.0 in Saratoga Springs, UT, versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $434 vs $451 – making Saratoga Springs, UT, the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saratoga Springs, UT,

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

06:55 6:55 AM

07:55 7:55 AM

1 h ahead of Saratoga Springs, UT,

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,491

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Saratoga Springs, UT, Chicago, IL 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Saratoga Springs, 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

Saratoga Springs, UT, vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,455 in Saratoga Springs, UT,, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 30% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,683 per month in Saratoga Springs, 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 Saratoga Springs, UT,, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% 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 $81.0 in Saratoga Springs, UT, and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Saratoga Springs, UT,, where all-in costs run around $2,455, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In Saratoga Springs, UT, it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,455 in Saratoga Springs, 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 Saratoga Springs, 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.