Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Worcester, MA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Worcester, MA: $2,907 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Worcester, MA
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Worcester, MA Living Index
152

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

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Worcester, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,907

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,907 per month in Worcester, MA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Worcester, MA $2,907
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,068 per month in Worcester, MA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Worcester, MA $4,068
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,229 per month in Worcester, MA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Worcester, MA $5,229
Chicago, IL $6,115

Worcester, MA is about 7% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Worcester, MA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Worcester, MA by 115%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.55 $22.55

$20.65 $20.65

9.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.5 $72.5

$90.2 $90.2

-19.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.94 $12.94

-6.34%

Cappuccino

$4.96 $4.96

$5.60 $5.60

-11.43%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$2.64 $2.64

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.27 $2.27

-25.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.06 $6.06

$6.98 $6.98

-13.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 $7.06

$8.83 $8.83

-20.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.27 $1.27

-6.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.80 $3.80

-4.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$5.30 $5.30

-7.92%

Eggs

$3.87 $3.87

$4.76 $4.76

-18.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.74 $18.74

$13.96 $13.96

34.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$14.61 $14.61

-23.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.00 $20.00

$18.77 $18.77

6.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$5.19 $5.19

-29.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.98 $1.98

-26.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.93 $3.93

-12.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.96 $4.96

-6.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.76 $2.76

7.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.76 $2.76

14.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.22 $2.22

-19.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.98 $2.98

-49.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.09 $13.09

$14.02 $14.02

-6.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.83 $11.83

$15.28 $15.28

-22.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.58 $2.58

-32.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.50 $3.50

-8.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.34 $3.34

51.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.43 $1.43

68.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.31 $35.31

$24.32 $24.32

45.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.26 $1.26

-13.49%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.27%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.23%

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

$197 $197

$193 $193

2.24%

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

$55.5 $55.5

$68.3 $68.3

-18.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$61.3 $61.3

1.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.54 $28.54

$54.1 $54.1

-47.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.92 $29.92

$27.92 $27.92

7.16%

Cinema Ticket

$16.69 $16.69

$17.74 $17.74

-5.92%

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

$1,737 $1,737

$1,652 $1,652

5.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.9K $44.9K

$31.1K $31.1K

44.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 $47.38

$66.1 $66.1

-28.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.79 $34.79

$51.2 $51.2

-32.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 $92.7

$100 $100

-7.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$141 $141

2.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,858 $1,858

$2,446 $2,446

-24.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,634 $1,634

$1,678 $1,678

-2.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,917 $2,917

$4,717 $4,717

-38.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 $2,379

$2,795 $2,795

-14.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,085 $3,085

$4,105 $4,105

-24.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,692 $2,692

$2,650 $2,650

1.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,165 $4,165

$4,866 $4,866

-14.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

6.81

-7.05%

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

Last update for Worcester, MA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Worcester, MA

$1.6K 56.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 2.7% $44

Groceries & Markets

Worcester, MA

$398 13.7%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 12.9% $51

Eating Out

Worcester, MA

$337 11.6%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 1.9% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Worcester, MA

$315 10.8%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 2.4% $7.6

Clothing & Footwear

Worcester, MA

$144 5%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 12% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Worcester, MA

$62 2.1%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 44.7% $28

Getting Around

Worcester, MA

$17 * 0.6%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 455% $78

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,858 in Worcester, MA 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 17% higher in Chicago, IL, 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 $73.0 in Worcester, MA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $449 – making Worcester, MA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Worcester, MA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

07:37 7:37 AM

06:37 6:37 AM

1 h behind Worcester, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

206,518

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

Worcester, MA Chicago, IL 1,300 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Worcester, MA
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

Worcester, MA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,907 in Worcester, MA, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,360 per month in Worcester, MA 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 Worcester, MA, 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 $73.0 in Worcester, MA and $90.0 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 it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,907 in Worcester, MA 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 $2,907 in Worcester, MA to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Worcester, MA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.