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Boston vs Chicago cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ Boston
๐บ๐ธ Chicago
At a glance
- Where Chicago is clearly cheaper: Street food (43%โ), Hotel night (40%โ), Studio rent (month) (33%โ)
- Where Boston is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (39%โ), Half-day tour (25%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Boston | Chicago | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 23$23 | $ 17$17 | Chicago โ26% |
| Street food1 item | $ 14$14 | $ 8$8 | Chicago โ43% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 50$50 | $ 42$42 | Chicago โ16% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 5.8$5.8 | $ 5.5$5.5 | Chicago โ5% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 8$8 | $ 7.5$7.5 | Chicago โ6% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 18$18 | $ 15$15 | Chicago โ17% |
| Bottled water | $ 2.3$2.3 | $ 1.8$1.8 | Chicago โ22% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 2.8$2.8 | $ 2.7$2.7 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 17$17 | $ 17$17 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 11$11 | $ 10$10 | Chicago โ9% |
| Transitone ride | $ 2.4$2.4 | $ 2.75$2.75 | Boston โ13% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 35$35 | $ 57$57 | Boston โ39% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 300$300 | $ 180$180 | Chicago โ40% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 2,900$2,900 | $ 1,950$1,950 | Chicago โ33% |
| Laundry | $ 4$4 | $ 4$4 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 30$30 | $ 30$30 | similar |
| Haircutcut | $ 32$32 | $ 35$35 | Boston โ9% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 110$110 | $ 85$85 | Chicago โ23% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 45$45 | $ 60$60 | Boston โ25% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 30$30 | $ 33$33 | Boston โ9% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Boston or Chicago?
Chicago is 29% cheaper than Boston. Daily budget $484 vs $334; a month $9,338 vs $6,737.
Which is easier to travel, Boston or Chicago?
About the same: Boston 1.4/5, Chicago 1.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Boston and Chicago?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Boston is about $9,338 and Chicago about $6,737 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.