Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen County, NJ and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,139 a month against $4,323 in Bergen County, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

208

Cost of Living Index in Bergen County, NJ
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Bergen County, NJ Living Index
152

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

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Bergen County, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$4,323

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,323 in Bergen County, NJ versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL.

Bergen County, NJ $4,323
Chicago, IL $3,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,463 in Bergen County, NJ versus $4,627 in Chicago, IL.

Bergen County, NJ $5,463
Chicago, IL $4,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,603 in Bergen County, NJ versus $6,115 in Chicago, IL.

Bergen County, NJ $6,603
Chicago, IL $6,115

Living in Bergen County, NJ is roughly 38% more expensive than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen County, NJ 219% above, Chicago, IL 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.48 $22.48

$20.65 $20.65

8.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 $85.3

$90.2 $90.2

-5.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.83 $12.83

$12.94 $12.94

-0.85%

Cappuccino

$5.13 $5.13

$5.60 $5.60

-8.39%

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

$3.07 $3.07

$2.64 $2.64

16.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.27 $2.27

-1.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.19 $8.19

$6.98 $6.98

17.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.09 $8.09

$8.83 $8.83

-8.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.27 $1.27

14.17%

White Bread (500g)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.80 $3.80

15.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.59 $7.59

$5.30 $5.30

43.21%

Eggs

$5.07 $5.07

$4.76 $4.76

6.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.66 $12.66

$13.96 $13.96

-9.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 $11.91

$14.61 $14.61

-18.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.75 $17.75

$18.77 $18.77

-5.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$5.19 $5.19

1.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.98 $1.98

-22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.93 $3.93

29.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$4.96 $4.96

1.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.76 $2.76

-1.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.76 $2.76

10.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.22 $2.22

7.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.98 $2.98

-19.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.90 $11.90

$14.02 $14.02

-15.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.56 $24.56

$15.28 $15.28

60.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.58 $2.58

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.50 $3.50

27.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.47 $2.47

68.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$169 $169

$74.8 $74.8

125.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.34 $3.34

-20.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.43 $1.43

6.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.11 $24.11

$24.32 $24.32

-0.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.26 $1.26

-15.87%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.96%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.73%

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

$211 $211

$193 $193

9.26%

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

$73.5 $73.5

$68.3 $68.3

7.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 $64.7

$61.3 $61.3

5.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.2 $98.2

$54.1 $54.1

81.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.53 $49.53

$27.92 $27.92

77.40%

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 $15.26

$17.74 $17.74

-13.98%

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

$2,285 $2,285

$1,652 $1,652

38.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K $24.1K

$31.1K $31.1K

-22.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.52 $48.52

$66.1 $66.1

-26.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.34 $46.34

$51.2 $51.2

-9.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 $79.9

$100 $100

-20.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 $153

$141 $141

8.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,786 $2,786

$2,446 $2,446

13.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,685 $2,685

$1,678 $1,678

60.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,541 $4,541

$4,717 $4,717

-3.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,963 $2,963

$2,795 $2,795

6.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,928 $3,928

$4,105 $4,105

-4.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,697 $3,697

$2,650 $2,650

39.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,356 $5,356

$4,866 $4,866

10.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.81

-2.79%

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

Last update for Bergen County, NJ: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bergen County, NJ

$2.7K 62.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 37.5% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Bergen County, NJ

$460 10.6%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 2.3% $10

Eating Out

Bergen County, NJ

$358 8.3%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 4.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bergen County, NJ

$349 8.1%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 7.6% $27

Getting Around

Bergen County, NJ

$196 4.5%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 51.4% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Bergen County, NJ

$147 3.4%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 9.4% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Bergen County, NJ

$129 3%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 30.4% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,786 in Bergen County, NJ and $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen County, NJ pays 10% 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: $85.0 in Bergen County, NJ vs $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $460 vs $449, with Chicago, IL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bergen County, NJ

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

20:14 8:14 PM

19:14 7:14 PM

1 h behind Bergen County, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,668

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

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

From you

Bergen County, 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

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

Bergen County, NJ and Chicago, IL differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($4,323 vs $3,139 including rent). Chicago, IL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Bergen County, NJ, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,786 in Bergen County, NJ versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chicago, IL – a meal for two runs $90.0 versus $85.0 in Bergen County, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $4,323 per month in Bergen County, NJ versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

Expats usually find Chicago, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Bergen County, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.