Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sterling and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Sterling: $2,824 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Sterling
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Sterling Living Index
153

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

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Sterling

🇺🇸 United States

$2,824

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,824 per month in Sterling vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Sterling $2,824
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $4,327 per month in Sterling vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Sterling $4,327
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $5,831 per month in Sterling vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Sterling $5,831
Chicago, IL $6,077

Sterling is about 11% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sterling and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Sterling by 109%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.32 $19.32

$21.58 $21.58

-10.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$88.7 $88.7

-14.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.84 $11.84

$13.20 $13.20

-10.30%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$5.59 $5.59

5.55%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$2.63 $2.63

13.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.26 $2.26

9.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.42 $5.42

$7.11 $7.11

-23.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$9.23 $9.23

-14.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.28 $1.28

-17.97%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.84 $3.84

4.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.07 $5.07

0.79%

Eggs

$5.61 $5.61

$4.84 $4.84

15.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.11 $17.11

$14.17 $14.17

20.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.54 $14.54

$14.61 $14.61

-0.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.87 $18.87

$18.76 $18.76

0.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$5.19 $5.19

7.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.00 $2.00

17.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$4.00 $4.00

26.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$4.98 $4.98

18.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.79 $2.79

1.08%

Onion (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.65 $2.65

44.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.13 $2.13

6.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.09 $3.09

-14.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 $9.90

$16.05 $16.05

-38.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 $13.96

$15.20 $15.20

-8.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.62 $2.62

-11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 $5.54

$3.46 $3.46

60.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.47 $2.47

100.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.21 $3.21

-7.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.39 $1.39

1.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.86 $22.86

$25.02 $25.02

-8.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.24 $1.24

-16.13%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$37.2K $37.2K

-3.29%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$25.8K $25.8K

-2.85%

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

$156 $156

$192 $192

-18.71%

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

$50.5 $50.5

$67.8 $67.8

-25.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.1 $79.1

$60.9 $60.9

29.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.37 $29.37

$53.6 $53.6

-45.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$18.12 $18.12

$17.80 $17.80

1.80%

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

$1,918 $1,918

$1,554 $1,554

23.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.2K $32.2K

$31.4K $31.4K

2.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$67.9 $67.9

-22.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.11 $45.11

$50.8 $50.8

-11.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 $87.7

$101 $101

-13.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$143 $143

-25.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 $1,255

$2,383 $2,383

-47.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 $1,512

$1,712 $1,712

-11.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,025 $2,025

$4,674 $4,674

-56.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,875 $2,875

$2,738 $2,738

4.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,239 $3,239

$4,158 $4,158

-22.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 $2,372

$2,691 $2,691

-11.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,714 $3,714

$4,894 $4,894

-24.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.77

-2.07%

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

Last update for Sterling: 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

Sterling

$1.5K 53.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 13.2% $200

Groceries & Markets

Sterling

$473 16.8%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 4.6% $22

Eating Out

Sterling

$326 11.5%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 8.4% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sterling

$286 10.1%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 12.3% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Sterling

$132 4.7%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 24% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Sterling

$66 2.3%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 35.9% $24

Getting Around

Sterling

$30 * 1.1%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 218% $65

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,255 in Sterling 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 32% 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 $75.0 in Sterling versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $473 in Sterling vs $451 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sterling

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

06:47 6:47 AM

Same time as Sterling

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,782

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sterling Chicago, IL 170 km

From you

Sterling
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

Sterling vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,824 in Sterling, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 13% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,236 per month in Sterling 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 Sterling, 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 $75.0 in Sterling and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sterling, where all-in costs run around $2,824, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In Sterling 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 $2,824 in Sterling 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 Sterling. 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.