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

😐 Solo nomad: Brooklyn, NY is 11.1% more expensive than Chicago, IL without rent, and 31.9% more expensive with rent.

😐 Family of 3: Brooklyn, NY is 15.3% more expensive than Chicago, IL without rent, and 28.6% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.16 $20.16

$20.10 $20.10

0.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 $121

$102 $102

18.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.74 $12.74

$12.02 $12.02

5.99%

Cappuccino

$5.72 $5.72

$5.62 $5.62

1.78%

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

$2.77 $2.77

$3.01 $3.01

-7.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.35 $2.35

-12.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 $7.89

$6.98 $6.98

13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.83 $7.83

$8.45 $8.45

-7.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.09 $1.09

39.45%

White Bread (500g)

$4.58 $4.58

$4.12 $4.12

11.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.18 $6.18

$5.57 $5.57

10.95%

Eggs

$5.34 $5.34

$4.51 $4.51

18.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.01 $14.01

$14.42 $14.42

-2.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.65 $12.65

$15.02 $15.02

-15.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.94 $14.94

$18.98 $18.98

-21.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$5.20 $5.20

14.23%

Banana (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$1.78 $1.78

131.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$4.34 $4.34

27.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$4.53 $4.53

40.18%

Potato (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$2.55 $2.55

97.65%

Onion (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.71 $2.71

78.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.49 $2.49

9.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.63 $2.63

-8.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.12 $15.12

-1.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.17 $18.17

$14.91 $14.91

21.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.47 $2.47

4.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.66 $3.66

-1.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.57 $2.57

13.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$134 $134

$74.3 $74.3

80.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.30 $3.30

-10.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.37 $1.37

59.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.77 $42.77

$24.96 $24.96

71.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.06 $1.06

-14.15%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$31.4K $31.4K

-17.81%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$26.2K $26.2K

-6.59%

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

$160 $160

$187 $187

-14.16%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$63.0 $63.0

-4.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.0 $69.0

$65.8 $65.8

4.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$110 $110

$75.2 $75.2

45.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$68.6 $68.6

$12.95 $12.95

429.34%

Cinema Ticket

$19.76 $19.76

$15.13 $15.13

30.60%

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

$1,875 $1,875

$2,067 $2,067

-9.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K $14.1K

$38.8K $38.8K

-63.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 $62.2

$64.0 $64.0

-2.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 $59.3

$50.8 $50.8

16.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$97.3 $97.3

14.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$144 $144

-8.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,132 $3,132

$2,338 $2,338

33.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$1,614 $1,614

49.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,970 $5,970

$4,764 $4,764

25.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,348 $4,348

$2,762 $2,762

57.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K $12.7K

$3,766 $3,766

237.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,469 $7,469

$2,614 $2,614

185.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,750 $3,750

$5,006 $5,006

-25.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.6

-1.36%

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

Last update for Brooklyn, NY: March 2, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: March 3, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Similar cities

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

Irvine, CA

🇺🇸 United States

Jersey City, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

Lucerne

🇨🇭 Switzerland

Winterthur

🇨🇭 Switzerland