Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barnegat, NJ and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Barnegat, NJ: $2,609 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Barnegat, NJ
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Barnegat, NJ Living Index
146

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

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Barnegat, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,609 in Barnegat, NJ versus $3,072 in Chicago, IL.

Barnegat, NJ $2,609
Chicago, IL $3,072

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,925 in Barnegat, NJ versus $4,545 in Chicago, IL.

Barnegat, NJ $3,925
Chicago, IL $4,545

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,242 in Barnegat, NJ versus $6,019 in Chicago, IL.

Barnegat, NJ $5,242
Chicago, IL $6,019

Living in Barnegat, NJ costs roughly 15% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barnegat, NJ 93% above, Chicago, IL 127% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.22 $18.22

$20.39 $20.39

-10.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.6 $95.6

$88.6 $88.6

7.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 $10.68

$12.85 $12.85

-16.89%

Cappuccino

$5.17 $5.17

$5.78 $5.78

-10.55%

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

$3.30 $3.30

$2.74 $2.74

20.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.26 $2.26

20.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 $7.08

$6.88 $6.88

2.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.15 $8.15

$9.24 $9.24

-11.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.26 $1.26

-12.70%

White Bread (500g)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.55 $3.55

14.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$5.38 $5.38

-21.56%

Eggs

$4.86 $4.86

$4.55 $4.55

6.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 $12.57

$13.65 $13.65

-7.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.01 $13.01

$14.07 $14.07

-7.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.55 $18.55

$18.06 $18.06

2.71%

Apples (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$5.16 $5.16

19.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.98 $1.98

-22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$3.88 $3.88

43.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.83 $4.83

-19.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.81 $2.81

-0.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.67 $2.67

6.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.07 $2.07

14.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.03 $3.03

-26.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.69 $13.69

$13.90 $13.90

-1.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.74 $15.74

$15.05 $15.05

4.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.63 $2.63

-0.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.45 $3.45

14.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.43 $2.43

-16.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.0 $58.0

$75.3 $75.3

-22.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.17 $3.17

-43.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.70 $1.70

-18.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.24 $24.24

$24.90 $24.90

-2.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.28 $1.28

-24.22%

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

$33.3K $33.3K

$35.8K $35.8K

-6.93%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.05%

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

$211 $211

$192 $192

9.94%

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

$65.9 $65.9

$69.6 $69.6

-5.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.5 $81.5

$62.2 $62.2

30.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.06 $40.06

$47.79 $47.79

-16.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$14.52 $14.52

$17.83 $17.83

-18.56%

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

$1,951 $1,951

$1,815 $1,815

7.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K $20.6K

$40.6K $40.6K

-49.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 $52.9

$66.2 $66.2

-20.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.6 $62.6

$51.4 $51.4

21.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$103 $103

-11.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$143 $143

-23.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 $1,398

$2,531 $2,531

-44.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 $1,217

$1,621 $1,621

-24.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,354 $2,354

$4,828 $4,828

-51.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,111 $2,111

$2,734 $2,734

-22.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,227 $3,227

$4,163 $4,163

-22.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,127 $2,127

$2,723 $2,723

-21.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.9

6.78

1.77%

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

Last update for Barnegat, 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

Barnegat, NJ

$1.2K 46.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8% 33.2% $404

Groceries & Markets

Barnegat, NJ

$431 16.5%

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3% 2% $8.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barnegat, NJ

$358 13.7%

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5% 9.7% $35

Eating Out

Barnegat, NJ

$316 12.1%

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2% 9% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Barnegat, NJ

$143 5.5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3% 14.7% $21

Getting Around

Barnegat, NJ

$75 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2% 29.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Barnegat, NJ

$69 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7% 20.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,398 in Barnegat, NJ and $2,531 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $96 in Barnegat, NJ vs $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $431 vs $439, with Barnegat, NJ cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Barnegat, NJ

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

10:22 10:22 AM

09:22 9:22 AM

1 h behind Barnegat, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817

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

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

From you

Barnegat, 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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,609 in Barnegat, NJ and $3,072 in Chicago, IL, so Barnegat, NJ is about 15% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,913 in Barnegat, NJ and $4,608 in Chicago, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,398 in Barnegat, NJ versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,951 in Barnegat, NJ versus $1,815 in Chicago, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chicago, IL – a meal for two runs $89 versus $96 in Barnegat, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,609 in Barnegat, NJ versus $3,072 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barnegat, NJ but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Barnegat, NJ the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.