Chicago vs Raleigh - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Raleigh
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2678
$2388
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6655
$5530
🏠 One person rent
$1596
$1484
🏘️ Family rent
$2946
$2447
🍽️ Food expenses
$700
$625
🚐 Transport expenses
$200
$94.8
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$4876
$4749
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Good
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
14 km
🎓 Higher education
100
82
😀 Quality of life
95
88
🏙️ Population
2.75M
468K

The cost of living in Chicago is 12% more expensive than in Raleigh. Cities ranked 529th and 972nd ($2678 vs $2388) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 483rd and 892nd 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 51st best cities to live in the United States, and 23rd vs 221st among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
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
$21.9
$17.1
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$90.6
$75.6
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12
$9.74
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7
$5.88
 Cappuccino
$5.4
$5.37
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.95
$2.31
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1841
$1468
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1327
$1216
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3729
$2614
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2474
$2029
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$104
$149
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$159
$232
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$62.1
$68.4
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.68%
6.51%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3391
$6077
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2689
$2879
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.48
$2.01
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$75.1
$58.4
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.1
$14.9
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.06
$0.84
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.94
$0.96
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.68
$3.8
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.61
$3.45
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.13
$3.83
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.5
$13.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.2
$11.1
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.3
$16.9
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.67
$6.48
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.84
$1.38
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.36
$7.38
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.43
$6.04
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.18
$3.1
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.71
$2.81
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.81
$1.5
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.85
$2.46
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$14.9
$14.9
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.04
$2.82
🚬 Cigarette pack
$15
$7.69
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.5
$8.17
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.02
$4
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.63
$3.38
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.76
$2.7
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$63
$39.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$14.8
$14.3
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$127
$158
💇 Haircut, simple
$29.8
$24.9
👖 Brand Jeans
$59
$52
👟 Brand Sneakers
$94.4
$93.2
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2114
$1481
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$24502
$21914

Cost of living in other countries

ChicagoRaleigh

Cost of living

$349

$907

$6.64K

More cities to compare

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2425
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2421
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2510
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2426
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2444
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2194
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2256
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2401
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2418
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2384
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2314
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2334
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2389
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2264
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2377
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2392
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2363
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2509
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2359
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2393
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2360
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1938
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2362
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2363
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2344
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2396
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1948
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2350
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2378
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2446
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2369
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2506
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2342
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2367
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2342
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2227
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2345
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1954
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2351
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2371

Cities near Raleigh

Distance City Cost of living
12 km or 7.6 mi Garner
$2281
15 km or 9.1 mi Cary
$2616
17 km or 10 mi Morrisville
$1836
21 km or 13 mi Wake Forest
$2229
21 km or 13 mi Apex
$2335
25 km or 16 mi Holly Springs
$2315
28 km or 18 mi Fuquay-Varina
$2290
30 km or 19 mi Durham
$2140
38 km or 23 mi Chapel Hill
$2309
60 km or 37 mi Henderson
$2169
61 km or 38 mi Sanford
$2184
65 km or 41 mi Wilson
$2073
77 km or 48 mi Rocky Mount
$2052
77 km or 48 mi Goldsboro
$1733
78 km or 49 mi Burlington
$2144
87 km or 54 mi Fayetteville
$2100
106 km or 66 mi Asheboro
$2091
109 km or 68 mi Danville
$1764
110 km or 68 mi Greensboro
$2011
114 km or 71 mi Roanoke Rapids
$2117
114 km or 71 mi Kinston
$2076
117 km or 73 mi Greenville
$2014
123 km or 76 mi High Point
$1934
129 km or 80 mi Thomasville
$2058
133 km or 83 mi Kernersville
$2169
137 km or 85 mi Lumberton
$2100
141 km or 87 mi Rockingham
$2136
149 km or 92 mi Winston-Salem
$2098
163 km or 101 mi Jacksonville
$1952
165 km or 103 mi New Bern
$1819
166 km or 103 mi Salisbury
$2117
182 km or 113 mi Kannapolis
$2136
182 km or 113 mi Lynchburg
$1752
183 km or 114 mi Concord
$2147
189 km or 117 mi Havelock
$1976
190 km or 118 mi Wilmington
$2144
191 km or 119 mi Petersburg
$2332
196 km or 122 mi Monroe
$2182
196 km or 122 mi Mint Hill
$2269
198 km or 123 mi Roanoke
$1682