Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tuscaloosa, AL and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Tuscaloosa, AL: $2,166 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Tuscaloosa, AL
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Tuscaloosa, AL Living Index
146

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

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Tuscaloosa, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,166

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,166 per month in Tuscaloosa, AL vs $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Tuscaloosa, AL $2,166
Chicago, IL $3,072

A couple spends around $3,241 per month in Tuscaloosa, AL vs $4,545 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Tuscaloosa, AL $3,241
Chicago, IL $4,545

A family of three spends $4,315 per month in Tuscaloosa, AL vs $6,019 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Tuscaloosa, AL $4,315
Chicago, IL $6,019

Tuscaloosa, AL is about 29% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Tuscaloosa, AL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Tuscaloosa, AL by 60%, Chicago, IL by 127%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.72 $17.72

$20.39 $20.39

-13.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 $73.0

$88.6 $88.6

-17.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.10 $9.10

$12.85 $12.85

-29.18%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$5.78 $5.78

-6.92%

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

$2.36 $2.36

$2.74 $2.74

-13.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.26 $2.26

-26.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.99 $5.99

$6.88 $6.88

-12.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 $6.97

$9.24 $9.24

-24.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.26 $1.26

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.55 $3.55

1.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$5.38 $5.38

-25.84%

Eggs

$4.25 $4.25

$4.55 $4.55

-6.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 $12.59

$13.65 $13.65

-7.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.49 $14.49

$14.07 $14.07

2.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 $13.07

$18.06 $18.06

-27.63%

Apples (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.16 $5.16

26.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.98 $1.98

-19.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.81 $10.81

$3.88 $3.88

178.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.93 $6.93

$4.83 $4.83

43.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.81 $2.81

0.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.67 $2.67

48.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.07 $2.07

26.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$3.03 $3.03

-33.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.31 $8.31

$13.90 $13.90

-40.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.08 $17.08

$15.05 $15.05

13.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.63 $2.63

-32.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.45 $3.45

47.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.17 $3.17

60.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.70 $1.70

-6.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.98 $29.98

$24.90 $24.90

20.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.28 $1.28

-32.03%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$35.8K $35.8K

-20.53%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.07%

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

$154 $154

$192 $192

-19.73%

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

$55.2 $55.2

$69.6 $69.6

-20.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$62.2 $62.2

-0.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 $58.4

$47.79 $47.79

22.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.41 $40.41

$27.10 $27.10

49.11%

Cinema Ticket

$15.28 $15.28

$17.83 $17.83

-14.30%

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

$1,076 $1,076

$1,815 $1,815

-40.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K $17.4K

$40.6K $40.6K

-57.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.23 $41.23

$66.2 $66.2

-37.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.87 $30.87

$51.4 $51.4

-39.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.0 $55.0

$103 $103

-46.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.0 $73.0

$143 $143

-48.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 $1,238

$2,531 $2,531

-51.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$956 $956

$1,621 $1,621

-41.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,841 $2,841

$4,828 $4,828

-41.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 $1,540

$2,734 $2,734

-43.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,897 $1,897

$4,163 $4,163

-54.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,880 $1,880

$2,723 $2,723

-30.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,429 $3,429

$4,924 $4,924

-30.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.78

-2.21%

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

Last update for Tuscaloosa, AL: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tuscaloosa, AL

$956 44.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8% 69.5% $665

Groceries & Markets

Tuscaloosa, AL

$454 20.9%

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3% 3.2% $14

Eating Out

Tuscaloosa, AL

$294 13.6%

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2% 17.2% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tuscaloosa, AL

$271 12.5%

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5% 19.5% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Tuscaloosa, AL

$90 4.2%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3% 81.7% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Tuscaloosa, AL

$89 4.1%

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7% 6.2% $5.5

Getting Around

Tuscaloosa, AL

$13 * 0.6%

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2% 642% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,238 in Tuscaloosa, AL versus $2,531 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 44% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Tuscaloosa, AL versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $454 in Tuscaloosa, AL vs $439 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tuscaloosa, AL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

08:43 8:43 AM

Same time as Tuscaloosa, AL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

99,600

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

Tuscaloosa, AL Chicago, IL 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tuscaloosa, AL
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,166 in Tuscaloosa, AL, $3,072 in Chicago, IL – Tuscaloosa, AL comes out roughly 29% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,249 per month in Tuscaloosa, AL and $4,608 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tuscaloosa, AL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,238 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Tuscaloosa, AL and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,166 in Tuscaloosa, AL and $3,072 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Tuscaloosa, AL – 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 Tuscaloosa, AL. 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.