Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bridgeport, CT and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Bridgeport, CT: $2,496 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Bridgeport, CT
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Bridgeport, CT Living Index
146

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

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Bridgeport, CT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,496

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,496 per month in Bridgeport, CT vs $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bridgeport, CT $2,496
Chicago, IL $3,072

A couple spends around $2,770 per month in Bridgeport, CT vs $4,545 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bridgeport, CT $2,770
Chicago, IL $4,545

A family of three spends $3,043 per month in Bridgeport, CT vs $6,019 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bridgeport, CT $3,043
Chicago, IL $6,019

Bridgeport, CT is about 19% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bridgeport, CT and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Bridgeport, CT by 85%, Chicago, IL by 127%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 $19.97

$20.39 $20.39

-2.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 $105

$88.6 $88.6

18.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.84 $11.84

$12.85 $12.85

-7.86%

Cappuccino

$5.50 $5.50

$5.78 $5.78

-4.84%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$2.74 $2.74

-7.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.26 $2.26

1.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.14 $8.14

$6.88 $6.88

18.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.16 $9.16

$9.24 $9.24

-0.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.26 $1.26

-7.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.76 $3.76

$3.55 $3.55

5.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.20 $7.20

$5.38 $5.38

33.83%

Eggs

$3.86 $3.86

$4.55 $4.55

-15.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.24 $16.24

$13.65 $13.65

18.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$14.07 $14.07

-28.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.78 $8.78

$18.06 $18.06

-51.38%

Apples (1kg)

$7.83 $7.83

$5.16 $5.16

51.74%

Banana (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$1.98 $1.98

86.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.88 $3.88

36.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.83 $4.83

12.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.81 $2.81

40.21%

Onion (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$2.67 $2.67

76.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.07 $2.07

-4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$3.03 $3.03

-33.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.62 $14.62

$13.90 $13.90

5.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.03 $12.03

$15.05 $15.05

-20.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.63 $2.63

4.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.45 $3.45

-1.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.43 $2.43

-26.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.17 $3.17

-2.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.70 $1.70

30.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.06 $42.06

$24.90 $24.90

68.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.28 $1.28

-16.41%

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

$30.7K $30.7K

$35.8K $35.8K

-14.35%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

-13.15%

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

$220 $220

$192 $192

14.72%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$69.6 $69.6

-14.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 $50.2

$62.2 $62.2

-19.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.10 $24.10

$47.79 $47.79

-49.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.80 $15.80

$27.10 $27.10

-41.70%

Cinema Ticket

$12.03 $12.03

$17.83 $17.83

-32.53%

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

$3,022 $3,022

$1,815 $1,815

66.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$52.7K $52.7K

$40.6K $40.6K

29.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.82 $45.82

$66.2 $66.2

-30.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.9 $76.9

$51.4 $51.4

49.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 $69.2

$103 $103

-33.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$143 $143

-16.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 $2,020

$2,531 $2,531

-20.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 $1,190

$1,621 $1,621

-26.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,890 $3,890

$4,163 $4,163

-6.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,005 $4,005

$2,723 $2,723

47.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,187 $4,187

$4,924 $4,924

-14.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

6.78

-1.18%

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

Last update for Bridgeport, CT: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bridgeport, CT

$1.2K 47.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8% 36.2% $431

Groceries & Markets

Bridgeport, CT

$427 17.1%

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3% 3% $13

Eating Out

Bridgeport, CT

$340 13.6%

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2% 1.3% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bridgeport, CT

$330 13.2%

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5% 2% $6.5

Clothing & Footwear

Bridgeport, CT

$140 5.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3% 16.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Bridgeport, CT

$48 1.9%

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7% 73.3% $35

Getting Around

Bridgeport, CT

$21 * 0.9%

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2% 353% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,020 in Bridgeport, CT versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 18% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Bridgeport, CT versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $427 in Bridgeport, CT vs $439 in Chicago, IL – so Bridgeport, CT wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bridgeport, CT

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

10:32 10:32 AM

09:32 9:32 AM

1 h behind Bridgeport, CT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

137,912

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

Bridgeport, CT Chicago, IL 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Bridgeport, CT
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

Bridgeport, CT vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL costs about 23% more than Bridgeport, CT, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,744 per month in Bridgeport, CT and $4,608 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bridgeport, CT, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,020 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,496 in Bridgeport, CT and $3,072 in Chicago, IL. That makes Bridgeport, CT about 19% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $3,022 per month in Bridgeport, CT and $1,815 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,496 in Bridgeport, CT and $3,072 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,496 in Bridgeport, CT to $3,072 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Bridgeport, CT. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.