Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,878 in Bayonne, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bayonne, NJ outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

185

Cost of Living Index in Bayonne, NJ
Learn more

Bayonne, NJ Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Bayonne, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,878

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,878 in Bayonne, NJ versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL.

Bayonne, NJ $3,878
Chicago, IL $3,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,433 in Bayonne, NJ versus $4,518 in Chicago, IL.

Bayonne, NJ $5,433
Chicago, IL $4,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,988 in Bayonne, NJ versus $5,999 in Chicago, IL.

Bayonne, NJ $6,988
Chicago, IL $5,999

Living in Bayonne, NJ is roughly 28% more expensive than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bayonne, NJ 185% above, Chicago, IL 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.13 $20.13

$20.71 $20.71

-2.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 $79.0

$89.2 $89.2

-11.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.83 $11.83

$13.19 $13.19

-10.31%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.66 $5.66

-0.18%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$2.64 $2.64

-7.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.28 $2.28

-34.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.87 $6.87

16.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 $7.03

$8.84 $8.84

-20.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.25 $1.25

11.20%

White Bread (500g)

$4.62 $4.62

$3.72 $3.72

24.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.29 $7.29

$5.39 $5.39

35.25%

Eggs

$7.13 $7.13

$4.74 $4.74

50.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.98 $13.98

$13.84 $13.84

1.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.89 $16.89

$14.40 $14.40

17.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.74 $19.74

$18.38 $18.38

7.40%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$5.22 $5.22

16.28%

Banana (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.98 $1.98

77.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$4.06 $4.06

3.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$4.97 $4.97

7.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.67 $2.67

10.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.66 $2.66

17.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.24 $2.24

12.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.13 $3.13

-2.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.03 $15.03

$13.82 $13.82

8.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 $15.26

$14.88 $14.88

2.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.54 $2.54

4.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 $3.53

$3.51 $3.51

0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.43 $2.43

-6.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.18 $3.18

-5.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.39 $1.39

57.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.11 $42.11

$25.03 $25.03

68.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.20 $1.20

-4.17%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.38%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.7K $26.7K

-4.15%

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

$172 $172

$194 $194

-11.57%

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

$49.90 $49.90

$69.5 $69.5

-28.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.8 $62.8

$61.6 $61.6

1.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.78 $19.78

$47.90 $47.90

-58.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$20.32 $20.32

$17.81 $17.81

14.09%

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

$1,991 $1,991

$1,794 $1,794

10.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K $15.9K

$31.9K $31.9K

-50.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.48 $49.48

$67.0 $67.0

-26.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.6 $75.6

$52.1 $52.1

44.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 $86.9

$102 $102

-14.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$144 $144

-27.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 $2,026

$2,526 $2,526

-19.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,523 $2,523

$1,578 $1,578

59.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$4,738 $4,738

-48.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,922 $3,922

$2,693 $2,693

45.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,591 $4,591

$4,931 $4,931

-6.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.81

-2.06%

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

Last update for Bayonne, NJ: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bayonne, NJ

$2.5K 65%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 37.5% $945

Groceries & Markets

Bayonne, NJ

$511 13.2%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 12.5% $64

Eating Out

Bayonne, NJ

$334 8.6%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 3.2% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bayonne, NJ

$285 7.3%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 14.4% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Bayonne, NJ

$142 3.7%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 15.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Bayonne, NJ

$60 1.6%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 38.3% $23

Getting Around

Bayonne, NJ

$23 * 0.6%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 305% $70

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,026 in Bayonne, NJ and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79 in Bayonne, NJ vs $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $511 vs $447, with Chicago, IL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bayonne, NJ

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

05:14 5:14 AM

04:14 4:14 AM

1 h behind Bayonne, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,844

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bayonne, NJ Chicago, IL 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Bayonne, 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

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

Chicago, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Bayonne, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Chicago, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Bayonne, 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: $2,026 in Bayonne, NJ versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Bayonne, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,878 per month in Bayonne, NJ versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Chicago, IL is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Chicago, IL is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.