Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beach Haven, NJ and Chicago, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Beach Haven, NJ and in Chicago, IL: $3,048 and $3,139 a month, rent and utilities included.

140

Cost of Living Index in Beach Haven, NJ
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Beach Haven, NJ Living Index
152

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

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Beach Haven, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,048

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,048 in Beach Haven, NJ versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL.

Beach Haven, NJ $3,048
Chicago, IL $3,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,600 in Beach Haven, NJ versus $4,627 in Chicago, IL.

Beach Haven, NJ $4,600
Chicago, IL $4,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,153 in Beach Haven, NJ versus $6,115 in Chicago, IL.

Beach Haven, NJ $6,153
Chicago, IL $6,115

Living in Beach Haven, NJ costs roughly 3% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Beach Haven, NJ 125% above, Chicago, IL 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.02 $25.02

$20.65 $20.65

21.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 $121

$90.2 $90.2

34.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 $14.08

$12.94 $12.94

8.81%

Cappuccino

$6.58 $6.58

$5.60 $5.60

17.50%

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

$3.77 $3.77

$2.64 $2.64

42.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.27 $2.27

33.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 $7.93

$6.98 $6.98

13.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.98 $9.98

$8.83 $8.83

13.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.27 $1.27

3.94%

White Bread (500g)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.80 $3.80

28.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.53 $7.53

$5.30 $5.30

42.08%

Eggs

$6.10 $6.10

$4.76 $4.76

28.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.12 $19.12

$13.96 $13.96

36.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.63 $17.63

$14.61 $14.61

20.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$18.77 $18.77

1.55%

Apples (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$5.19 $5.19

29.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.98 $1.98

9.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.36 $6.36

$3.93 $3.93

61.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.96 $4.96

35.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.76 $2.76

43.48%

Onion (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$2.76 $2.76

67.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.22 $2.22

26.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.98 $2.98

-12.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.70 $17.70

$14.02 $14.02

26.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.61 $19.61

$15.28 $15.28

28.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.58 $2.58

21.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 $3.71

$3.50 $3.50

6.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.47 $2.47

-7.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.34 $3.34

-7.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.43 $1.43

49.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.38 $41.38

$24.32 $24.32

70.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.26 $1.26

-7.94%

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

$32.2K $32.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

-7.90%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

-1.85%

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

$215 $215

$193 $193

11.80%

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

$75.0 $75.0

$68.3 $68.3

9.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.3 $70.3

$61.3 $61.3

14.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.07 $36.07

$54.1 $54.1

-33.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$22.87 $22.87

$17.74 $17.74

28.92%

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

$1,405 $1,405

$1,652 $1,652

-14.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$31.1K $31.1K

-23.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$66.1 $66.1

15.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.4 $53.4

$51.2 $51.2

4.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$100 $100

18.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 $132

$141 $141

-6.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 $1,804

$2,446 $2,446

-26.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 $1,452

$1,678 $1,678

-13.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,842 $2,842

$4,717 $4,717

-39.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,433 $2,433

$2,795 $2,795

-12.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,629 $2,629

$4,105 $4,105

-35.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,196 $2,196

$2,650 $2,650

-17.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.81

0.15%

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

Last update for Beach Haven, NJ: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beach Haven, NJ

$1.5K 47.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 15.6% $226

Groceries & Markets

Beach Haven, NJ

$551 18.1%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 18.4% $102

Eating Out

Beach Haven, NJ

$408 13.4%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 15.8% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beach Haven, NJ

$361 11.8%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 10.7% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Beach Haven, NJ

$171 5.6%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 5.8% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Beach Haven, NJ

$82 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 9.5% $7.8

Getting Around

Beach Haven, NJ

$23 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 315% $72

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 $1,804 in Beach Haven, NJ and $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $121 in Beach Haven, NJ vs $90.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $551 vs $449 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Beach Haven, NJ

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

23:40 11:40 PM

22:40 10:40 PM

1 h behind Beach Haven, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,200

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Beach Haven, NJ Chicago, IL 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Beach Haven, 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

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

Beach Haven, NJ is cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,572 in Beach Haven, NJ and $4,708 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: $1,804 in Beach Haven, NJ versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Chicago, IL pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $3,048 per month in Beach Haven, NJ versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Beach Haven, NJ is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Beach Haven, NJ is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chicago, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Beach Haven, NJ and Chicago, IL are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Beach Haven, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.