Chicago vs Raleigh - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Raleigh
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2667
$2477
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6807
$5984
🏠 One person rent
$1579
$1542
🏘️ Family rent
$3056
$2792
🍽️ Food expenses
$700
$647
🚐 Transport expenses
$205
$98.6
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$4901
$4931
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Good
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
14 km
🎓 Higher education
100
82
😀 Quality of life
96
89
🏙️ Population
2.75M
468K

The cost of living in Chicago is 8% more expensive than in Raleigh. Cities ranked 483rd and 806th ($2667 vs $2477) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 425th and 719th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Chicago compared to 2 months in Raleigh. Ranked 3rd vs 49th best cities to live in the United States, and 20th vs 202nd among the best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Chicago vs Raleigh infographic

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Prices in Chicago vs Raleigh

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

Chicago Raleigh
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$21
$18
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$87.3
$77.6
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$11.7
$10.4
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.62
$6.03
 Cappuccino
$5.4
$5.49
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.12
$2.95
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1974
$1570
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1280
$1231
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3828
$2956
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2594
$2331
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$102
$166
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$156
$258
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$59.1
$77.4
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.61%
6.54%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3554
$7431
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3158
$3484
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.49
$2.25
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$76.5
$61.2
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.6
$15.1
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.12
$0.88
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.02
$0.99
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.92
$4.08
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5
$4.41
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.69
$3.78
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.8
$12.9
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.8
$11.7
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$19.9
$18.6
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.97
$5.67
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.91
$1.71
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.81
$5.94
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.56
$5.28
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.34
$2.67
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.08
$2.98
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.93
$1.69
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.86
$2.39
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$14.8
$15.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.9
$2.76
🚬 Cigarette pack
$16.6
$7.71
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.6
$10.3
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.03
$3.96
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.65
$4.23
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.81
$2.56
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$63.1
$42.4
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$15
$14.2
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$126
$158
💇 Haircut, simple
$29.3
$23.2
👖 Brand Jeans
$62.2
$60.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$95.5
$107
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2457
$1530
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$19423
$22229

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 Raleigh

Distance City Cost of living
12 km or 7.6 mi Garner
$2278
15 km or 9.1 mi Cary
$2383
17 km or 10 mi Morrisville
$1859
21 km or 13 mi Wake Forest
$2228
21 km or 13 mi Apex
$2217
25 km or 16 mi Holly Springs
$2137
28 km or 18 mi Fuquay-Varina
$2158
30 km or 19 mi Durham
$2146
38 km or 23 mi Chapel Hill
$2212
60 km or 37 mi Henderson
$2141
61 km or 38 mi Sanford
$2105
65 km or 41 mi Wilson
$2057
77 km or 48 mi Rocky Mount
$2043
77 km or 48 mi Goldsboro
$1697
78 km or 49 mi Burlington
$2122
87 km or 54 mi Fayetteville
$2054
106 km or 66 mi Asheboro
$2110
109 km or 68 mi Danville
$1791
110 km or 68 mi Greensboro
$2012
114 km or 71 mi Roanoke Rapids
$2099
114 km or 71 mi Kinston
$2060
117 km or 73 mi Greenville
$2026
123 km or 76 mi High Point
$2110
129 km or 80 mi Thomasville
$2094
133 km or 83 mi Kernersville
$2162
137 km or 85 mi Lumberton
$2076
141 km or 87 mi Rockingham
$2105
149 km or 92 mi Winston-Salem
$1882
163 km or 101 mi Jacksonville
$1972
165 km or 103 mi New Bern
$1917
166 km or 103 mi Salisbury
$2081
182 km or 113 mi Kannapolis
$2119
182 km or 113 mi Lynchburg
$1705
183 km or 114 mi Concord
$2146
189 km or 117 mi Havelock
$2022
190 km or 118 mi Wilmington
$2135
191 km or 119 mi Petersburg
$2299
196 km or 122 mi Monroe
$2194
196 km or 122 mi Mint Hill
$2288
198 km or 123 mi Roanoke
$1753