Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Watford City, ND and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Watford City, ND: $2,550 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Watford City, ND
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Watford City, ND Living Index
147

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

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Watford City, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,550

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,550 per month in Watford City, ND vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Watford City, ND $2,550
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,892 per month in Watford City, ND vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Watford City, ND $3,892
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,233 per month in Watford City, ND vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Watford City, ND $5,233
Chicago, IL $5,999

Watford City, ND is about 16% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Watford City, ND and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Watford City, ND by 87%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.64 $22.64

$20.71 $20.71

9.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 $68.2

$89.2 $89.2

-23.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 $10.33

$13.19 $13.19

-21.68%

Cappuccino

$5.27 $5.27

$5.66 $5.66

-6.89%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$2.64 $2.64

10.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.28 $2.28

-1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.47 $5.47

$6.87 $6.87

-20.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 $7.02

$8.84 $8.84

-20.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.25 $1.25

-15.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.53 $3.53

$3.72 $3.72

-5.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.39 $5.39

-19.48%

Eggs

$4.06 $4.06

$4.74 $4.74

-14.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 $12.56

$13.84 $13.84

-9.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 $11.72

$14.40 $14.40

-18.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.76 $16.76

$18.38 $18.38

-8.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$5.22 $5.22

-3.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.98 $1.98

-20.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$4.06 $4.06

9.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$4.97 $4.97

-4.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.67 $2.67

5.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.66 $2.66

17.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.24 $2.24

-15.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$3.13 $3.13

-38.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.80 $8.80

$13.82 $13.82

-36.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.21 $14.21

$14.88 $14.88

-4.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.54 $2.54

-34.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.51 $3.51

-3.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.43 $2.43

-6.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.3 $57.3

$73.5 $73.5

-22.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 $3.38

$3.18 $3.18

6.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.39 $1.39

15.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.13 $26.13

$25.03 $25.03

4.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.20 $1.20

-14.17%

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

$31.6K $31.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-9.87%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$26.7K $26.7K

2.71%

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

$222 $222

$194 $194

14.17%

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

$53.1 $53.1

$69.5 $69.5

-23.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.1 $74.1

$61.6 $61.6

20.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.68 $45.68

$47.90 $47.90

-4.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$14.18 $14.18

$17.81 $17.81

-20.38%

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

$1,531 $1,531

$1,794 $1,794

-14.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K $25.4K

$31.9K $31.9K

-20.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.74 $49.74

$67.0 $67.0

-25.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.13 $45.13

$52.1 $52.1

-13.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 $76.4

$102 $102

-24.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$144 $144

-25.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 $1,581

$2,526 $2,526

-37.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 $1,195

$1,578 $1,578

-24.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,778 $2,778

$4,738 $4,738

-41.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,313 $2,313

$2,693 $2,693

-14.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,070 $3,070

$4,190 $4,190

-26.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,077 $2,077

$2,768 $2,768

-24.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.81

-3.52%

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

Last update for Watford City, ND: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Watford City, ND

$1.2K 46.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 32% $383

Groceries & Markets

Watford City, ND

$391 15.3%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 14.4% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Watford City, ND

$349 13.7%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 6.8% $24

Eating Out

Watford City, ND

$337 13.2%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 2.2% $7.6

Clothing & Footwear

Watford City, ND

$126 4.9%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 30.6% $38

Getting Around

Watford City, ND

$78 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 19.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Watford City, ND

$74 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 12.8% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,581 in Watford City, ND 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Watford City, ND versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $391 vs $447 – making Watford City, ND the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Watford City, ND

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

20:11 8:11 PM

Same time as Watford City, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,200

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Watford City, ND Chicago, IL 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Watford City, ND
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

Watford City, ND vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,550 in Watford City, ND, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Watford City, ND comes out roughly 16% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Watford City, ND 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 Watford City, ND, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,581 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Watford City, ND and $89 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 Watford City, ND, where all-in costs run around $2,550, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Watford City, ND it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Watford City, ND – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Watford City, ND is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 16% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.