Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,139 a month against $4,112 in Westport, CT, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Westport, CT outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

200

Cost of Living Index in Westport, CT
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Westport, CT Living Index
152

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

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Westport, CT

🇺🇸 United States

$4,112

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,112 per month in Westport, CT vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Westport, CT $4,112
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,644 per month in Westport, CT vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Westport, CT $4,644
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,176 per month in Westport, CT vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Westport, CT $5,176
Chicago, IL $6,115

Westport, CT costs about 31% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Westport, CT and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Westport, CT by 203%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.81 $24.81

$20.65 $20.65

20.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$90.2 $90.2

11.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.76 $13.76

$12.94 $12.94

6.34%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$5.60 $5.60

-6.43%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$2.64 $2.64

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.27 $2.27

1.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.52 $8.52

$6.98 $6.98

22.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.97 $11.97

$8.83 $8.83

35.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.27 $1.27

20.47%

White Bread (500g)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.80 $3.80

19.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$5.30 $5.30

-63.77%

Eggs

$5.20 $5.20

$4.76 $4.76

9.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 $7.43

$13.96 $13.96

-46.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.41 $13.41

$14.61 $14.61

-8.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.73 $16.73

$18.77 $18.77

-10.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 $4.11

$5.19 $5.19

-20.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.98 $1.98

-39.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$3.93 $3.93

-45.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$4.96 $4.96

-4.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.76 $2.76

-59.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.76 $2.76

-22.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.22 $2.22

-34.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.98 $2.98

-35.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.72 $14.72

$14.02 $14.02

4.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.22 $17.22

$15.28 $15.28

12.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.58 $2.58

-7.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.50 $3.50

13.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.47 $2.47

-21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.34 $3.34

53.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.43 $1.43

13.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.09 $30.09

$24.32 $24.32

23.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.26 $1.26

-11.11%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

-20.88%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.34%

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

$306 $306

$193 $193

59.00%

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

$25.49 $25.49

$68.3 $68.3

-62.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 $53.2

$61.3 $61.3

-13.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 $37.31

$54.1 $54.1

-31.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.77 $17.77

$17.74 $17.74

0.17%

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

$1,373 $1,373

$1,652 $1,652

-16.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$31.1K $31.1K

-25.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.94 $39.94

$66.1 $66.1

-39.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.64 $40.64

$51.2 $51.2

-20.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 $77.5

$100 $100

-22.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$141 $141

-13.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,769 $2,769

$2,446 $2,446

13.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$1,678 $1,678

63.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 $2,476

$4,717 $4,717

-47.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,135 $2,135

$2,795 $2,795

-23.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$4,105 $4,105

-34.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,386 $2,386

$2,650 $2,650

-9.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$10.7K $10.7K

$4,866 $4,866

119.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.81

-2.64%

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

Last update for Westport, CT: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Westport, CT

$2.7K 66.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 38.7% $1.1K

Eating Out

Westport, CT

$390 9.5%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 11.9% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Westport, CT

$385 9.4%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 16.3% $63

Groceries & Markets

Westport, CT

$380 9.2%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 18.4% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Westport, CT

$126 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 28.3% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Westport, CT

$73 1.8%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 23% $17

Getting Around

Westport, CT

$21 * 0.5%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 352% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,769 in Westport, CT versus $2,446 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 120% higher in Westport, CT, 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 $100 in Westport, CT versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $380 in Westport, CT vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Westport, CT wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Westport, CT

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

02:01 2:01 AM

01:01 1:01 AM

1 h behind Westport, CT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,592

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Westport, CT Chicago, IL 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Westport, CT
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,112 in Westport, CT, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,168 per month in Westport, CT and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chicago, IL, 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 $100 in Westport, CT and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Westport, CT – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,112 in Westport, CT and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,139 in Chicago, IL to $4,112 in Westport, CT. 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 Chicago, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Westport, CT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.