Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atlantic City, NJ and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Atlantic City, NJ: $2,815 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

134

Cost of Living Index in Atlantic City, NJ
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Atlantic City, NJ Living Index
146

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

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Atlantic City, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,815

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Atlantic City, NJ 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 Atlantic City, NJ and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,815 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $3,072 in Chicago, IL.

Atlantic City, NJ $2,815
Chicago, IL $3,072

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,199 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $4,545 in Chicago, IL.

Atlantic City, NJ $4,199
Chicago, IL $4,545

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,583 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $6,019 in Chicago, IL.

Atlantic City, NJ $5,583
Chicago, IL $6,019

Living in Atlantic City, NJ costs roughly 8% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Atlantic City, NJ 108% above, Chicago, IL 127% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.66 $19.66

$20.39 $20.39

-3.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.2 $99.2

$88.6 $88.6

11.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 $11.30

$12.85 $12.85

-12.06%

Cappuccino

$5.70 $5.70

$5.78 $5.78

-1.38%

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

$2.26 $2.26

$2.74 $2.74

-17.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.26 $2.26

-15.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 $5.83

$6.88 $6.88

-15.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.94 $8.94

$9.24 $9.24

-3.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.26 $1.26

-4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.55 $3.55

-3.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.17 $7.17

$5.38 $5.38

33.27%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$4.55 $4.55

-4.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.03 $11.03

$13.65 $13.65

-19.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.78 $16.78

$14.07 $14.07

19.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.36 $20.36

$18.06 $18.06

12.74%

Apples (1kg)

$7.74 $7.74

$5.16 $5.16

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$1.98 $1.98

92.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$3.88 $3.88

40.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 $6.11

$4.83 $4.83

26.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.81 $2.81

39.50%

Onion (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.67 $2.67

75.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.07 $2.07

26.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.03 $3.03

-19.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.24 $14.24

$13.90 $13.90

2.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 $13.36

$15.05 $15.05

-11.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.63 $2.63

4.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.45 $3.45

-5.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.43 $2.43

21.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.0 $90.0

$75.3 $75.3

19.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.17 $3.17

-7.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.70 $1.70

30.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.74 $41.74

$24.90 $24.90

67.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.28 $1.28

-30.47%

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

$20.3K $20.3K

$35.8K $35.8K

-43.33%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-8.00%

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

$223 $223

$192 $192

15.91%

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

$61.6 $61.6

$69.6 $69.6

-11.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 $61.2

$62.2 $62.2

-1.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.58 $29.58

$47.79 $47.79

-38.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.8 $50.8

$27.10 $27.10

87.53%

Cinema Ticket

$16.85 $16.85

$17.83 $17.83

-5.50%

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

$494 $494

$1,815 $1,815

-72.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,073 $7,073

$40.6K $40.6K

-82.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.9 $69.9

$66.2 $66.2

5.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.16 $31.16

$51.4 $51.4

-39.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$103 $103

13.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$143 $143

-15.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 $1,762

$2,531 $2,531

-30.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 $1,323

$1,621 $1,621

-18.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,377 $2,377

$4,828 $4,828

-50.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,132 $2,132

$2,734 $2,734

-22.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,349 $4,349

$4,163 $4,163

4.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,265 $4,265

$2,723 $2,723

56.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,006 $4,006

$4,924 $4,924

-18.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

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

Last update for Atlantic City, NJ: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Atlantic City, NJ

$1.3K 47%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8% 22.5% $298

Groceries & Markets

Atlantic City, NJ

$492 17.5%

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3% 10.7% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Atlantic City, NJ

$345 12.3%

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5% 6.2% $22

Eating Out

Atlantic City, NJ

$323 11.5%

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2% 6.4% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Atlantic City, NJ

$152 5.4%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3% 7.4% $11

Getting Around

Atlantic City, NJ

$116 4.1%

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2% 16.5% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Atlantic City, NJ

$63 2.3%

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7% 31.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,762 in Atlantic City, NJ and $2,531 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 23% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Atlantic City, NJ vs $89 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $492 vs $439 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Atlantic City, NJ

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

13:44 1:44 PM

12:44 12:44 PM

1 h behind Atlantic City, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,958

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Atlantic City, NJ Chicago, IL 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Atlantic City, NJ
Chicago, IL

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Atlantic City, NJ vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,815 in Atlantic City, NJ and $3,072 in Chicago, IL, so Atlantic City, NJ is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Atlantic City, NJ. 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: $1,762 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Chicago, IL pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Chicago, IL – a meal for two runs $89 versus $99 in Atlantic City, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Atlantic City, NJ wins on affordability, Chicago, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.