Cost of Living Comparison Between Wallingford, CT and Chicago, IL Cost of Living Comparison Between Wallingford, CT and Chicago, IL

🙂 Solo nomad: Wallingford, CT is 36.7% cheaper than Chicago, IL without rent, and 17.6% cheaper with rent.
🙂 Family of 3: Wallingford, CT is 37.8% cheaper than Chicago, IL without rent, and 23.8% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wallingford, CT
Chicago, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.03 $17.03
$20.82 $20.82
-18.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.1 $65.1
$100 $100
-35.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.87 $11.87
$11.97 $11.97
-0.84%
Cappuccino
$4.02 $4.02
$5.56 $5.56
-27.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 $2.12
$3.11 $3.11
-31.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.7 $1.7
$2.42 $2.42
-29.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.95 $5.95
$6.86 $6.86
-13.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.13 $7.13
$8.45 $8.45
-15.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wallingford, CT
Chicago, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.98 $0.98
$1.04 $1.04
-5.77%
White Bread (500g)
$3.36 $3.36
$4.15 $4.15
-19.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.65 $5.65
$5.52 $5.52
2.36%
Eggs
$3.68 $3.68
$4.65 $4.65
-20.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.96 $9.96
$14.33 $14.33
-30.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.26 $10.26
$14.88 $14.88
-31.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.19 $18.19
$19.34 $19.34
-5.95%
Apples (1kg)
$3.69 $3.69
$5.17 $5.17
-28.63%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 $1.39
$1.71 $1.71
-18.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.97 $3.97
$4.41 $4.41
-9.98%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.14 $4.14
$4.51 $4.51
-8.20%
Potato (1kg)
$3.11 $3.11
$2.53 $2.53
22.92%
Onion (1kg)
$2.47 $2.47
$2.74 $2.74
-9.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.88 $1.88
$2.43 $2.43
-22.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 $1.61
$2.7 $2.7
-40.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.06 $13.06
$15.19 $15.19
-14.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.91 $11.91
$16.42 $16.42
-27.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 $1.76
$2.35 $2.35
-25.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.2 $3.2
$3.7 $3.7
-13.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Wallingford, CT
Chicago, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.01 $2.01
$2.53 $2.53
-20.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$74.1 $74.1
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.06 $3.06
$3.34 $3.34
-8.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.11 $2.11
$1.42 $1.42
48.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.71 $29.71
$25.42 $25.42
16.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.91 $0.91
$1.08 $1.08
-15.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K $29.9K
$32.4K $32.4K
-7.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.9K $24.9K
$26.2K $26.2K
-5.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wallingford, CT
Chicago, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$182 $182
$188 $188
-3.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$44.24 $44.24
$63.7 $63.7
-30.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.7 $56.7
$65.2 $65.2
-12.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wallingford, CT
Chicago, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.55 $43.55
$76.7 $76.7
-43.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$13.03 $13.03
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.55 $12.55
$14.93 $14.93
-15.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wallingford, CT
Chicago, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,392 $1,392
$2,063 $2,063
-32.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.4K $30.4K
$39.2K $39.2K
-22.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wallingford, CT
Chicago, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$37.18 $37.18
$64.3 $64.3
-42.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.88 $23.88
$52.4 $52.4
-54.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.4 $84.4
$95.2 $95.2
-11.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$70.6 $70.6
$145 $145
-51.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wallingford, CT
Chicago, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,582 $1,582
$2,378 $2,378
-33.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,329 $1,329
$1,584 $1,584
-16.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,626 $2,626
$4,763 $4,763
-44.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,262 $2,262
$2,815 $2,815
-19.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,379 $2,379
$3,588 $3,588
-33.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,182 $2,182
$2,490 $2,490
-12.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Wallingford, CT
Chicago, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,753 $4,753
$5,275 $5,275
-9.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.57
6.6
-0.45%

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

Last update for Wallingford, CT: October 28, 2025

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 29, 2025

Similar cities

Join the CityCost newsletter – low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.