Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,072 a month against $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

204

Cost of Living Index in Brooklyn, NY
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Brooklyn, NY Living Index
146

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

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Brooklyn, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,230

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,230 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $4,230
Chicago, IL $3,072

A couple spends around $6,364 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $4,545 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $6,364
Chicago, IL $4,545

A family of three spends $8,497 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $6,019 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $8,497
Chicago, IL $6,019

Brooklyn, NY costs about 38% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Brooklyn, NY and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Brooklyn, NY by 213%, Chicago, IL by 127%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.37 $20.37

$20.39 $20.39

-0.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 $107

$88.6 $88.6

20.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.86 $11.86

$12.85 $12.85

-7.70%

Cappuccino

$5.49 $5.49

$5.78 $5.78

-5.02%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.74 $2.74

-3.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.26 $2.26

0.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$6.88 $6.88

13.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.90 $8.90

$9.24 $9.24

-3.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.26 $1.26

32.54%

White Bread (500g)

$4.58 $4.58

$3.55 $3.55

29.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$5.38 $5.38

30.48%

Eggs

$6.59 $6.59

$4.55 $4.55

44.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.57 $16.57

$13.65 $13.65

21.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.01 $17.01

$14.07 $14.07

20.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.96 $19.96

$18.06 $18.06

10.52%

Apples (1kg)

$7.93 $7.93

$5.16 $5.16

53.68%

Banana (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$1.98 $1.98

85.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$3.88 $3.88

34.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$4.83 $4.83

25.05%

Potato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.81 $2.81

43.06%

Onion (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$2.67 $2.67

79.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.07 $2.07

27.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.03 $3.03

-19.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.04 $15.04

$13.90 $13.90

8.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.33 $21.33

$15.05 $15.05

41.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.63 $2.63

4.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.45 $3.45

-5.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.43 $2.43

20.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$183 $183

$75.3 $75.3

143.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.17 $3.17

-6.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.70 $1.70

25.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.63 $42.63

$24.90 $24.90

71.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.28 $1.28

-10.94%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$35.8K $35.8K

-12.72%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.8K $26.8K

-3.37%

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

$219 $219

$192 $192

14.14%

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

$60.5 $60.5

$69.6 $69.6

-13.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$62.2 $62.2

-1.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$47.79 $47.79

156.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.28 $35.28

$27.10 $27.10

30.18%

Cinema Ticket

$20.06 $20.06

$17.83 $17.83

12.51%

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

$3,022 $3,022

$1,815 $1,815

66.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$52.2K $52.2K

$40.6K $40.6K

28.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 $70.0

$66.2 $66.2

5.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.8 $76.8

$51.4 $51.4

49.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$103 $103

17.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$143 $143

-16.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,827 $3,827

$2,531 $2,531

51.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 $2,454

$1,621 $1,621

51.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,537 $7,537

$4,828 $4,828

56.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,441 $4,441

$2,734 $2,734

62.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K $12.4K

$4,163 $4,163

197.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,713 $7,713

$2,723 $2,723

183.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,614 $3,614

$4,924 $4,924

-26.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

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

Last update for Brooklyn, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brooklyn, NY

$2.5K 58%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8% 34% $833

Groceries & Markets

Brooklyn, NY

$549 13%

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3% 20% $109

Eating Out

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1%

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2% 0.9% $3.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1%

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5% 5% $17

Getting Around

Brooklyn, NY

$208 4.9%

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2% 53.6% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Brooklyn, NY

$174 4.1%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3% 6.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Brooklyn, NY

$163 3.9%

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7% 48.8% $79

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,827 in Brooklyn, NY 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 36% higher in Chicago, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in Brooklyn, NY versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $549 vs $439 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brooklyn, NY

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

10:59 10:59 AM

09:59 9:59 AM

1 h behind Brooklyn, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,736,074

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

Brooklyn, NY Chicago, IL 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Brooklyn, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY, $3,072 in Chicago, IL – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 27% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,346 per month in Brooklyn, NY 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 Chicago, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,531 there versus $3,827 in Brooklyn, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in Brooklyn, NY and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY and $3,072 in Chicago, IL. That makes Chicago, IL about 27% cheaper.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY 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. Brooklyn, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,072 in Chicago, IL to $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Chicago, IL is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 27% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.