Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albany, NY and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Albany, NY: $2,776 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

137

Cost of Living Index in Albany, NY
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Albany, NY Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index

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Albany, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,776

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Albany, NY and in Chicago, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Albany, NY and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,776 in Albany, NY versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL.

Albany, NY $2,776
Chicago, IL $3,185

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,419 in Albany, NY versus $4,631 in Chicago, IL.

Albany, NY $4,419
Chicago, IL $4,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,061 in Albany, NY versus $6,077 in Chicago, IL.

Albany, NY $6,061
Chicago, IL $6,077

Living in Albany, NY costs roughly 13% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Albany, NY 106% above, Chicago, IL 136% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.00 $27.00

$21.58 $21.58

25.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$88.7 $88.7

13.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.87 $14.87

$13.20 $13.20

12.65%

Cappuccino

$6.30 $6.30

$5.59 $5.59

12.70%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.63 $2.63

3.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.26 $2.26

-9.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$7.11 $7.11

-15.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.40 $10.40

$9.23 $9.23

12.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.28 $1.28

-17.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.84 $3.84

-16.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.07 $7.07

$5.07 $5.07

39.45%

Eggs

$5.10 $5.10

$4.84 $4.84

5.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.37 $16.37

$14.17 $14.17

15.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.25 $16.25

$14.61 $14.61

11.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.60 $18.60

$18.76 $18.76

-0.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$5.19 $5.19

-9.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$2.00 $2.00

-30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.00 $4.00

36.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$4.98 $4.98

-4.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.79 $2.79

13.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.65 $2.65

33.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.13 $2.13

9.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.09 $3.09

-36.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.11 $15.11

$16.05 $16.05

-5.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 $14.25

$15.20 $15.20

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.62 $2.62

-20.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 $3.99

$3.46 $3.46

15.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.47 $2.47

-38.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.9 $63.9

$75.1 $75.1

-14.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.21 $3.21

59.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.39 $1.39

-2.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$25.02 $25.02

18.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.24 $1.24

-13.71%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.1K $36.1K

$37.2K $37.2K

-2.94%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.2K $25.2K

$25.8K $25.8K

-2.23%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$215 $215

$192 $192

11.65%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$67.8 $67.8

2.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.9 $87.9

$60.9 $60.9

44.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.64 $38.64

$53.6 $53.6

-27.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.03 $38.03

$27.90 $27.90

36.31%

Cinema Ticket

$14.98 $14.98

$17.80 $17.80

-15.84%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,475 $1,475

$1,554 $1,554

-5.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K $16.9K

$31.4K $31.4K

-46.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 $54.2

$67.9 $67.9

-20.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 $40.55

$50.8 $50.8

-20.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$101 $101

9.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$143 $143

-25.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 $1,440

$2,383 $2,383

-39.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 $1,256

$1,712 $1,712

-26.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,882 $2,882

$4,674 $4,674

-38.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,595 $2,595

$2,738 $2,738

-5.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,454 $2,454

$4,158 $4,158

-40.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,478 $2,478

$2,691 $2,691

-7.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,245 $4,245

$4,894 $4,894

-13.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.77

-1.62%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Albany, NY: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Albany, NY

$1.3K 45.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 36.3% $456

Groceries & Markets

Albany, NY

$451 16.3%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 0% $0

Eating Out

Albany, NY

$406 14.6%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 13% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albany, NY

$372 13.4%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 13.8% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Albany, NY

$140 5.1%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 16.4% $23

Getting Around

Albany, NY

$82 3%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 16.2% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Albany, NY

$69 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 30% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,440 in Albany, NY and $2,383 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 15% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $100 in Albany, NY vs $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $451 vs $451, with Albany, NY cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Albany, NY

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

20:15 8:15 PM

19:15 7:15 PM

1 h behind Albany, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,228

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Albany, NY Chicago, IL 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Albany, NY
Chicago, IL

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Albany, NY vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albany, NY wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Albany, NY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Chicago, IL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,440 in Albany, NY versus $2,383 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Albany, NY – a meal for two runs $100 versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,776 per month in Albany, NY versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Albany, NY is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Albany, NY delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,776 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Albany, NY hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Albany, NY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.