Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brookhaven, NY and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Brookhaven, NY: $2,722 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Brookhaven, NY
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Brookhaven, NY Living Index
152

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

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Brookhaven, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,722

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,722 in Brookhaven, NY versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL.

Brookhaven, NY $2,722
Chicago, IL $3,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,065 in Brookhaven, NY versus $4,627 in Chicago, IL.

Brookhaven, NY $4,065
Chicago, IL $4,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,408 in Brookhaven, NY versus $6,115 in Chicago, IL.

Brookhaven, NY $5,408
Chicago, IL $6,115

Living in Brookhaven, NY costs roughly 13% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brookhaven, NY 101% above, Chicago, IL 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.74 $24.74

$20.65 $20.65

19.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 $98.9

$90.2 $90.2

9.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 $11.20

$12.94 $12.94

-13.45%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$5.60 $5.60

-4.46%

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

$2.24 $2.24

$2.64 $2.64

-15.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.27 $2.27

-32.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.01 $8.01

$6.98 $6.98

14.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$8.83 $8.83

-7.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.27 $1.27

-0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.31 $4.31

$3.80 $3.80

13.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.76 $7.76

$5.30 $5.30

46.42%

Eggs

$5.75 $5.75

$4.76 $4.76

20.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 $12.61

$13.96 $13.96

-9.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 $11.62

$14.61 $14.61

-20.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.07 $17.07

$18.77 $18.77

-9.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$5.19 $5.19

6.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.98 $1.98

-12.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$3.93 $3.93

56.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.14 $6.14

$4.96 $4.96

23.79%

Potato (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$2.76 $2.76

98.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.76 $2.76

36.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.22 $2.22

25.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.98 $2.98

-1.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.50 $11.50

$14.02 $14.02

-17.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.08 $24.08

$15.28 $15.28

57.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.58 $2.58

-33.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.49 $5.49

$3.50 $3.50

56.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.47 $2.47

-24.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.34 $3.34

-12.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.43 $1.43

41.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.54 $23.54

$24.32 $24.32

-3.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.26 $1.26

-12.70%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.22%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.44%

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

$211 $211

$193 $193

9.38%

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

$75.6 $75.6

$68.3 $68.3

10.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 $64.3

$61.3 $61.3

4.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.96 $40.96

$54.1 $54.1

-24.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$14.76 $14.76

$17.74 $17.74

-16.80%

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

$2,237 $2,237

$1,652 $1,652

35.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$31.1K $31.1K

-24.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.13 $41.13

$66.1 $66.1

-37.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 $56.5

$51.2 $51.2

10.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 $76.1

$100 $100

-23.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 $158

$141 $141

12.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 $1,587

$2,446 $2,446

-35.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 $1,275

$1,678 $1,678

-24.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 $2,527

$4,717 $4,717

-46.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,118 $2,118

$2,795 $2,795

-24.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,099 $3,099

$4,105 $4,105

-24.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,127 $2,127

$2,650 $2,650

-19.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.81

-0.88%

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

Last update for Brookhaven, NY: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brookhaven, NY

$1.3K 46.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 31.6% $403

Groceries & Markets

Brookhaven, NY

$489 18%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 8% $39

Eating Out

Brookhaven, NY

$367 13.5%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 6.5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brookhaven, NY

$351 12.9%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 8.1% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Brookhaven, NY

$149 5.5%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Brookhaven, NY

$70 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 27.1% $19

Getting Around

Brookhaven, NY

$21 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 364% $75

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 $1,587 in Brookhaven, NY and $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $99.0 in Brookhaven, NY vs $90.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $449 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brookhaven, NY

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

04:32 4:32 AM

1 h behind Brookhaven, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,674

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Brookhaven, NY Chicago, IL 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Brookhaven, NY
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

Brookhaven, NY vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brookhaven, NY is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and transport. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,083 in Brookhaven, NY 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: $1,587 in Brookhaven, NY 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 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,722 per month in Brookhaven, NY versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Brookhaven, NY 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, Brookhaven, NY 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 Brookhaven, NY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.