Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,677 in Bridgewater, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bridgewater, NJ outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

176

Cost of Living Index in Bridgewater, NJ
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Bridgewater, NJ Living Index
147

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

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Bridgewater, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,677

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,677 in Bridgewater, NJ versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL.

Bridgewater, NJ $3,677
Chicago, IL $3,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,197 in Bridgewater, NJ versus $4,518 in Chicago, IL.

Bridgewater, NJ $5,197
Chicago, IL $4,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,717 in Bridgewater, NJ versus $5,999 in Chicago, IL.

Bridgewater, NJ $6,717
Chicago, IL $5,999

Living in Bridgewater, NJ is roughly 21% more expensive than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bridgewater, NJ 170% above, Chicago, IL 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.71 $18.71

$20.71 $20.71

-9.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 $78.7

$89.2 $89.2

-11.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.82 $12.82

$13.19 $13.19

-2.81%

Cappuccino

$5.27 $5.27

$5.66 $5.66

-6.89%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$2.64 $2.64

-2.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.28 $2.28

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 $5.83

$6.87 $6.87

-15.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.84 $7.84

$8.84 $8.84

-11.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.25 $1.25

5.60%

White Bread (500g)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.72 $3.72

19.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$5.39 $5.39

-42.49%

Eggs

$5.17 $5.17

$4.74 $4.74

9.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 $10.14

$13.84 $13.84

-26.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.41 $10.41

$14.40 $14.40

-27.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.32 $17.32

$18.38 $18.38

-5.77%

Apples (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$5.22 $5.22

18.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.98 $1.98

-25.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$4.06 $4.06

4.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.97 $4.97

-32.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.67 $2.67

13.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.66 $2.66

2.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.24 $2.24

-12.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.13 $3.13

-1.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.79 $14.79

$13.82 $13.82

7.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.17 $12.17

$14.88 $14.88

-18.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.54 $2.54

-29.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.51 $3.51

5.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 $120

$73.5 $73.5

63.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.18 $3.18

-4.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.39 $1.39

52.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.36 $42.36

$25.03 $25.03

69.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.20 $1.20

-15.83%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$35.0K $35.0K

-31.44%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.83%

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

$174 $174

$194 $194

-10.38%

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

$49.85 $49.85

$69.5 $69.5

-28.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.30 $49.30

$61.6 $61.6

-20.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 $102

$47.90 $47.90

112.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.11 $49.11

$27.34 $27.34

79.63%

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$17.81 $17.81

-0.06%

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

$2,031 $2,031

$1,794 $1,794

13.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$31.9K $31.9K

-48.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.45 $49.45

$67.0 $67.0

-26.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.2 $62.2

$52.1 $52.1

19.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 $86.3

$102 $102

-15.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$144 $144

-23.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 $2,308

$2,526 $2,526

-8.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,282 $2,282

$1,578 $1,578

44.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,808 $3,808

$4,738 $4,738

-19.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,551 $3,551

$2,693 $2,693

31.88%

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)

$6,504 $6,504

$4,931 $4,931

31.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

6.81

-1.62%

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

Last update for Bridgewater, NJ: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bridgewater, NJ

$2.3K 62.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 30.9% $704

Groceries & Markets

Bridgewater, NJ

$399 10.8%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 12.2% $49

Eating Out

Bridgewater, NJ

$313 8.5%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 10.3% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bridgewater, NJ

$273 7.4%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 19.1% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Bridgewater, NJ

$139 3.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 18.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Bridgewater, NJ

$137 3.7%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 39.2% $54

Getting Around

Bridgewater, NJ

$134 * 3.6%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 30.2% $40

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 $2,308 in Bridgewater, NJ and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bridgewater, NJ pays 32% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $79 in Bridgewater, NJ vs $89 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $447 per month, with Bridgewater, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bridgewater, NJ

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

01:05 1:05 AM

00:05 12:05 AM

1 h behind Bridgewater, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,633

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bridgewater, NJ Chicago, IL 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bridgewater, 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

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

Chicago, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Bridgewater, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Chicago, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Bridgewater, 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: $2,308 in Bridgewater, NJ versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bridgewater, NJ pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Bridgewater, NJ – a meal for two runs $79 versus $89 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Chicago, IL wins on affordability, Bridgewater, NJ on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.