Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Twin Falls, ID and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Twin Falls, ID: $2,291 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Twin Falls, ID
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Twin Falls, ID Living Index
147

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

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Twin Falls, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,291

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,291 per month in Twin Falls, ID vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Twin Falls, ID $2,291
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,292 per month in Twin Falls, ID vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Twin Falls, ID $3,292
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,292 per month in Twin Falls, ID vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Twin Falls, ID $4,292
Chicago, IL $5,999

Twin Falls, ID is about 25% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Twin Falls, ID and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Twin Falls, ID by 68%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.39 $16.39

$20.71 $20.71

-20.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.65 $45.65

$89.2 $89.2

-48.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 $11.78

$13.19 $13.19

-10.69%

Cappuccino

$6.10 $6.10

$5.66 $5.66

7.77%

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

$2.05 $2.05

$2.64 $2.64

-22.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.28 $2.28

-13.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 $6.16

$6.87 $6.87

-10.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 $6.36

$8.84 $8.84

-28.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.25 $1.25

-30.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.72 $3.72

5.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$5.39 $5.39

14.29%

Eggs

$4.11 $4.11

$4.74 $4.74

-13.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.26 $11.26

$13.84 $13.84

-18.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.00 $11.00

$14.40 $14.40

-23.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.81 $14.81

$18.38 $18.38

-19.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$5.22 $5.22

-12.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.98 $1.98

-7.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$4.06 $4.06

0.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.00 $5.00

$4.97 $4.97

0.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.67 $2.67

7.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.66 $2.66

1.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.24 $2.24

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.13 $3.13

-18.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.40 $8.40

$13.82 $13.82

-39.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$14.88 $14.88

2.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.54 $2.54

-19.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.51 $3.51

-5.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.43 $2.43

-15.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 $2.62

$3.18 $3.18

-17.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.39 $1.39

6.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.75 $23.75

$25.03 $25.03

-5.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.20 $1.20

-16.67%

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

$33.7K $33.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

-3.79%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.86%

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

$175 $175

$194 $194

-10.02%

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

$57.6 $57.6

$69.5 $69.5

-17.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.6 $64.6

$61.6 $61.6

4.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.70 $34.70

$47.90 $47.90

-27.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.43 $12.43

$17.81 $17.81

-30.21%

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

$1,074 $1,074

$1,794 $1,794

-40.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K $24.0K

$31.9K $31.9K

-24.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.32 $47.32

$67.0 $67.0

-29.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.36 $40.36

$52.1 $52.1

-22.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 $89.2

$102 $102

-12.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$144 $144

-25.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,389 $1,389

$2,526 $2,526

-45.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 $1,092

$1,578 $1,578

-30.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 $2,006

$4,738 $4,738

-57.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 $1,767

$2,693 $2,693

-34.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,666 $2,666

$4,190 $4,190

-36.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,681 $2,681

$2,768 $2,768

-3.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,388 $2,388

$4,931 $4,931

-51.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

6.81

-4.26%

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

Last update for Twin Falls, ID: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Twin Falls, ID

$1.1K 47.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 44.5% $486

Groceries & Markets

Twin Falls, ID

$397 17.3%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 12.7% $50

Eating Out

Twin Falls, ID

$299 13.1%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 15.3% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Twin Falls, ID

$297 13%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 9.5% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Twin Falls, ID

$128 5.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 28.3% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Twin Falls, ID

$60 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 40.3% $24

Getting Around

Twin Falls, ID

$18 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 412% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,389 in Twin Falls, ID versus $2,526 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 in Chicago, IL are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Twin Falls, ID versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $447 – making Twin Falls, ID the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Twin Falls, ID

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

14:37 2:37 PM

15:37 3:37 PM

1 h ahead of Twin Falls, ID

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

49,764

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Twin Falls, ID Chicago, IL 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Twin Falls, ID
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

Twin Falls, ID vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,291 in Twin Falls, ID, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Twin Falls, ID comes out roughly 25% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,437 per month in Twin Falls, ID and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Twin Falls, ID, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,389 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Twin Falls, ID and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Twin Falls, ID, where all-in costs run around $2,291, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Twin Falls, ID it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Twin Falls, ID – 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 Twin Falls, ID. 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.