Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Moines, IA and Chicago, IL 

Indices DifferenceInfo
Consumer Prices in Chicago, IL are 34.6% higher than in Des Moines, IA (without rent)
Consumer Prices Including Rent in Chicago, IL are 57.2% higher than in Des Moines, IA
Rent Prices in Chicago, IL are 113.4% higher than in Des Moines, IA
Restaurant Prices in Chicago, IL are 41.8% higher than in Des Moines, IA
Groceries Prices in Chicago, IL are 50.9% higher than in Des Moines, IA
Local Purchasing Power in Chicago, IL is 19.9% lower than in Des Moines, IA
Currency: Sticky Currency      Switch to metric measurement units
Restaurants
Des Moines, IA Edit Chicago, IL Edit Difference
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant 16.00 $ 25.00 $      +56.2 %
Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course 70.00 $ 100.00 $      +42.9 %
McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) 9.75 $ 11.67 $      +19.7 %
Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) 4.75 $ 8.00 $      +68.4 %
Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) 5.00 $ 8.00 $      +60.0 %
Cappuccino (regular) 5.18 $ 5.22 $      +0.8 %
Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) 2.31 $ 2.95 $      +27.7 %
Water (12 oz small bottle) 2.06 $ 2.37 $      +14.9 %
Markets
Des Moines, IA Edit Chicago, IL Edit
Milk (regular), (1 gallon) 3.92 $ 4.04 $      +3.0 %
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) 1.83 $ 3.84 $      +109.4 %
Rice (white), (1 lb) 1.50 $ 2.85 $      +90.4 %
Eggs (regular) (12) 2.84 $ 4.07 $      +43.6 %
Local Cheese (1 lb) 6.15 $ 7.52 $      +22.3 %
Chicken Fillets (1 lb) 4.00 $ 6.74 $      +68.4 %
Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) 5.98 $ 9.46 $      +58.4 %
Apples (1 lb) 2.00 $ 2.70 $      +35.0 %
Banana (1 lb) 0.75 $ 0.89 $      +18.8 %
Oranges (1 lb) 1.59 $ 2.10 $      +32.0 %
Tomato (1 lb) 1.74 $ 2.24 $      +28.9 %
Potato (1 lb) 0.75 $ 1.19 $      +60.2 %
Onion (1 lb) 1.22 $ 1.35 $      +10.3 %
Lettuce (1 head) 2.13 $ 2.25 $      +5.5 %
Water (1.5 liter bottle) 1.10 $ 2.55 $      +131.9 %
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) 14.50 $ 15.00 $      +3.4 %
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) 1.73 $ 2.43 $      +40.5 %
Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) 5.00 $ 4.31 $      -13.8 %
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) 7.00 $ 16.50 $      +135.7 %
Transportation
Des Moines, IA Edit Chicago, IL Edit
One-way Ticket (Local Transport) 1.75 $ 2.50 $      +42.9 %
Monthly Pass (Regular Price) 58.00 $ 80.00 $      +37.9 %
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) 2.00 $ 3.25 $      +62.5 %
Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) 2.00 $ 2.25 $      +12.5 %
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) 20.00 $ 25.00 $      +25.0 %
Gasoline (1 gallon) 3.05 $ 4.23 $      +38.6 %
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) 26,000.00 $ 37,383.69 $      +43.8 %
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) 24,437.64 $ 27,211.87 $      +11.4 %
Utilities (Monthly)
Des Moines, IA Edit Chicago, IL Edit
Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment 150.60 $ 159.33 $      +5.8 %
Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data 50.00 $ 54.68 $      +9.4 %
Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) 59.93 $ 57.35 $      -4.3 %
Sports And Leisure
Des Moines, IA Edit Chicago, IL Edit
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult 66.67 $ 78.67 $      +18.0 %
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) 20.00 $ 6.25 $      -68.8 %
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat 14.50 $ 15.00 $      +3.4 %
Childcare
Des Moines, IA Edit Chicago, IL Edit
Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child 1,369.17 $ 2,170.00 $      +58.5 %
International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child 11,812.00 $ 45,450.00 $      +284.8 %
Clothing And Shoes
Des Moines, IA Edit Chicago, IL Edit
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) 52.78 $ 60.03 $      +13.7 %
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) 48.00 $ 53.75 $      +12.0 %
1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) 90.50 $ 97.19 $      +7.4 %
1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes 143.00 $ 128.06 $      -10.4 %
Rent Per Month
Des Moines, IA Edit Chicago, IL Edit
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre 1,215.00 $ 2,351.85 $      +93.6 %
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre 912.50 $ 1,507.04 $      +65.2 %
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre 1,750.00 $ 4,608.70 $      +163.4 %
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre 1,480.00 $ 2,963.64 $      +100.2 %
Buy Apartment Price
Des Moines, IA Edit Chicago, IL Edit
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre 201.80 $ 334.28 $      +65.7 %
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre 201.80 $ 260.01 $      +28.8 %
Salaries And Financing
Des Moines, IA Edit Chicago, IL Edit
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) 3,980.77 $ 5,011.38 $      +25.9 %
Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate 6.55 6.64      +1.5 %
Last update: April 2024April 2024
Contributors in the past 12 months:26226