Chicago vs Melbourne - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Melbourne
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2667
$2397
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6807
$5694
🏠 One person rent
$1579
$1344
🏘️ Family rent
$3056
$2215
🍽️ Food expenses
$700
$557
🚐 Transport expenses
$205
$345
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$4901
$4357
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
12 km
🎓 Higher education
100
100
😀 Quality of life
96
100
🏙️ Population
2.75M
5.03M

The cost of living in Chicago is 11% more expensive than in Melbourne. Cities ranked 483rd and 923rd ($2667 vs $2397) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 425th and 4th in the United States and Australia, respectively. Check the United States vs Australia comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Chicago compared to 1.8 months in Melbourne. Chicago ranked 3rd best city to live in the United States vs Melbourne ranked 1st in Australia, while ranked 20th and 1st among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Chicago vs Melbourne infographic

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Prices in Chicago vs Melbourne

Prices for goods and services in Chicago and Melbourne are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Chicago Melbourne
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$21
$15.4
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$87.3
$62.1
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$11.7
$10.3
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.62
$8.61
☕ Cappuccino
$5.4
$3.66
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.12
$2.82
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1974
$1361
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1280
$1146
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3828
$2752
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2594
$1818
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$102
$101
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$156
$156
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$59.1
$54
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.61%
6.33%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3554
$7512
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3158
$5768
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.49
$3.66
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$76.5
$126
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.6
$21.4
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.12
$1.36
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.02
$1.47
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.92
$2.64
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5
$2.33
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.69
$4.36
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.8
$10.3
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.8
$9.57
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$19.9
$14.4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.97
$3.43
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.91
$2.79
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.81
$2.65
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.56
$4.42
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.34
$2.37
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.08
$2.19
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.93
$0.98
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.86
$2.61
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$14.8
$13.7
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.9
$4.74
🚬 Cigarette pack
$16.6
$26.8
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.6
$6.82
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.03
$7.97
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.65
$3.51
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.81
$4
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$63.1
$52.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$15
$15.4
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$126
$56.2
💇 Haircut, simple
$29.3
$23.1
👖 Brand Jeans
$62.2
$81.3
👟 Brand Sneakers
$95.5
$115
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2457
$1974
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$19423
$21306

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2427
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2463
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2424
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2375
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2376
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2177
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2307
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2344
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2352
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2326
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2367
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2412
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2393
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2292
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2313
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2305
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2360
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2358
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2292
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2268
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2292
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1950
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2293
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2296
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2295
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2224
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1975
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2276
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2392
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2363
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2276
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2380
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2290
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2269
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2280
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2134
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2331
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$2002
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2274
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2357

Cities near Melbourne

Distance City Cost of living
3.2 km or 2 mi South Yarra
$1758
24 km or 15 mi Hoppers Crossing
$1767
25 km or 16 mi Tarneit
$1757
29 km or 18 mi Dandenong
$1876
34 km or 21 mi Sunbury
$1822
37 km or 23 mi Melton
$1795
40 km or 25 mi Frankston
$1799
41 km or 25 mi Berwick
$1800
42 km or 26 mi Cranbourne
$1738
54 km or 34 mi Pakenham
$1805
65 km or 40 mi Geelong
$1892
102 km or 64 mi Ballarat
$1357
134 km or 83 mi Bendigo
$1397
144 km or 90 mi Traralgon
$1829
164 km or 102 mi Shepparton
$1717
226 km or 140 mi Warrnambool
$1697
367 km or 228 mi Mount Gambier
$1788
369 km or 230 mi Wagga Wagga
$1628
392 km or 244 mi Devonport
$1900
404 km or 251 mi Griffith
$1746
444 km or 276 mi Launceston
$1798
466 km or 290 mi Canberra
$2393
477 km or 296 mi Mildura
$1816
546 km or 339 mi Goulburn
$1748
597 km or 371 mi Hobart
$2265
628 km or 390 mi Orange
$1500
643 km or 399 mi Bathurst
$1674
651 km or 405 mi Wollongong
$1532
655 km or 407 mi Adelaide
$2246
700 km or 435 mi Blacktown
$1732
702 km or 436 mi Dubbo
$1815
703 km or 437 mi Parramatta
$2472
707 km or 440 mi Kellyville
$1997
713 km or 443 mi Sydney
$2801
728 km or 452 mi Dee Why
$2286
822 km or 511 mi Newcastle
$1833
891 km or 554 mi Whyalla
$2013
1015 km or 631 mi Port Macquarie
$1661
1021 km or 634 mi Armidale
$1289
1123 km or 698 mi Coffs Harbour
$1913