Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wilmington, NC and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Wilmington, NC: $2,876 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Wilmington, NC
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Wilmington, NC Living Index
147

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

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Wilmington, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,876

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,876 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $2,876
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,129 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $4,129
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,382 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $5,382
Chicago, IL $5,999

Wilmington, NC is about 5% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Wilmington, NC and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Wilmington, NC by 111%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.08 $15.08

$20.71 $20.71

-27.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 $80.1

$89.2 $89.2

-10.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 $10.80

$13.19 $13.19

-18.12%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$5.66 $5.66

-1.94%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$2.64 $2.64

-4.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.28 $2.28

3.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 $5.14

$6.87 $6.87

-25.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 $6.95

$8.84 $8.84

-21.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.25 $1.25

-20.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.72 $3.72

7.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.84 $5.84

$5.39 $5.39

8.35%

Eggs

$5.34 $5.34

$4.74 $4.74

12.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 $11.38

$13.84 $13.84

-17.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.42 $14.42

$14.40 $14.40

0.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.47 $25.47

$18.38 $18.38

38.57%

Apples (1kg)

$6.38 $6.38

$5.22 $5.22

22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.98 $1.98

-10.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.91 $6.91

$4.06 $4.06

70.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.19 $6.19

$4.97 $4.97

24.55%

Potato (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$2.67 $2.67

53.18%

Onion (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$2.66 $2.66

123.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.24 $2.24

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.13 $3.13

0.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.64 $8.64

$13.82 $13.82

-37.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.70 $14.70

$14.88 $14.88

-1.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.54 $2.54

-20.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 $6.00

$3.51 $3.51

70.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.43 $2.43

-16.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.4 $79.4

$73.5 $73.5

8.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.03 $7.03

$3.18 $3.18

121.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.39 $1.39

35.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.20 $1.20

-14.17%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$35.0K $35.0K

-22.68%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.42%

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

$286 $286

$194 $194

47.32%

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

$55.8 $55.8

$69.5 $69.5

-19.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.2 $76.2

$61.6 $61.6

23.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 $56.1

$47.90 $47.90

17.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.08 $4.08

$27.34 $27.34

-85.08%

Cinema Ticket

$14.89 $14.89

$17.81 $17.81

-16.40%

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

$1,339 $1,339

$1,794 $1,794

-25.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 $70.9

$67.0 $67.0

5.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.96 $41.96

$52.1 $52.1

-19.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 $99.6

$102 $102

-1.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 $68.8

$144 $144

-52.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,640 $1,640

$2,526 $2,526

-35.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 $1,361

$1,578 $1,578

-13.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,819 $2,819

$4,738 $4,738

-40.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,116 $2,116

$2,693 $2,693

-21.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,291 $3,291

$4,190 $4,190

-21.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,529 $2,529

$2,768 $2,768

-8.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,936 $3,936

$4,931 $4,931

-20.18%

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 Wilmington, NC: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wilmington, NC

$1.4K 47.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 16% $217

Groceries & Markets

Wilmington, NC

$501 17.4%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 10.8% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wilmington, NC

$418 14.6%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 22.2% $93

Eating Out

Wilmington, NC

$279 9.7%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 23.7% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Wilmington, NC

$127 4.4%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 29.6% $37

Getting Around

Wilmington, NC

$104 3.6%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 10.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Wilmington, NC

$86 3%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 2.7% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,640 in Wilmington, NC 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 run about 25% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Wilmington, NC versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $501 in Wilmington, NC vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wilmington, NC

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

16:49 4:49 PM

15:49 3:49 PM

1 h behind Wilmington, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,826

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Wilmington, NC Chicago, IL 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Wilmington, NC
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

Wilmington, NC vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,876 in Wilmington, NC, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Wilmington, NC comes out roughly 5% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,313 per month in Wilmington, NC 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 Wilmington, NC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,640 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Wilmington, NC and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Wilmington, NC – 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 Wilmington, NC. 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.