Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Camden, NJ: $2,569 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Camden, NJ
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Camden, NJ Living Index
152

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

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Camden, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,569

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,569 in Camden, NJ versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL.

Camden, NJ $2,569
Chicago, IL $3,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,856 in Camden, NJ versus $4,627 in Chicago, IL.

Camden, NJ $3,856
Chicago, IL $4,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,143 in Camden, NJ versus $6,115 in Chicago, IL.

Camden, NJ $5,143
Chicago, IL $6,115

Living in Camden, NJ costs roughly 18% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Camden, NJ 90% above, Chicago, IL 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.17 $20.17

$20.65 $20.65

-2.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$90.2 $90.2

-12.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 $11.88

$12.94 $12.94

-8.19%

Cappuccino

$5.34 $5.34

$5.60 $5.60

-4.64%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$2.64 $2.64

-2.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.27 $2.27

1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 $6.03

$6.98 $6.98

-13.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.79 $7.79

$8.83 $8.83

-11.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.27 $1.27

14.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.80 $3.80

-8.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.19 $7.19

$5.30 $5.30

35.66%

Eggs

$5.05 $5.05

$4.76 $4.76

6.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 $12.33

$13.96 $13.96

-11.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.85 $12.85

$14.61 $14.61

-12.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.01 $18.01

$18.77 $18.77

-4.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$5.19 $5.19

5.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.98 $1.98

-21.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.93 $3.93

30.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.28 $5.28

$4.96 $4.96

6.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.76 $2.76

3.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.76 $2.76

11.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.22 $2.22

13.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.98 $2.98

-17.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.64 $11.64

$14.02 $14.02

-16.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.82 $14.82

$15.28 $15.28

-3.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.58 $2.58

-6.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.50 $3.50

-6.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.47 $2.47

-16.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.34 $3.34

-18.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.43 $1.43

11.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.18 $24.18

$24.32 $24.32

-0.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.26 $1.26

-7.94%

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

$31.3K $31.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

-10.62%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.1K $26.1K

0.84%

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

$219 $219

$193 $193

13.70%

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

$61.7 $61.7

$68.3 $68.3

-9.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.7 $61.7

$61.3 $61.3

0.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.94 $38.94

$54.1 $54.1

-28.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$15.52 $15.52

$17.74 $17.74

-12.51%

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

$2,186 $2,186

$1,652 $1,652

32.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K $34.4K

$31.1K $31.1K

10.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.59 $48.59

$66.1 $66.1

-26.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.56 $47.56

$51.2 $51.2

-7.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$100 $100

1.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$141 $141

-14.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 $1,382

$2,446 $2,446

-43.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 $1,228

$1,678 $1,678

-26.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,815 $2,815

$4,717 $4,717

-40.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 $2,180

$2,795 $2,795

-22.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,470 $2,470

$4,105 $4,105

-39.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,498 $2,498

$2,650 $2,650

-5.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,216 $3,216

$4,866 $4,866

-33.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.81

-2.79%

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

Last update for Camden, NJ: 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

Camden, NJ

$1.2K 47.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 36.7% $450

Groceries & Markets

Camden, NJ

$440 17.1%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 2.2% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Camden, NJ

$343 13.3%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 5.9% $20

Eating Out

Camden, NJ

$326 12.7%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 5.3% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Camden, NJ

$143 5.6%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 12.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Camden, NJ

$70 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 28% $20

Getting Around

Camden, NJ

$19 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 401% $76

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 $1,382 in Camden, NJ and $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 51% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in Camden, NJ vs $90.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $440 vs $449 per month, with Camden, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Camden, NJ

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

17:00 5:00 PM

16:00 4:00 PM

1 h behind Camden, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,344

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Camden, NJ Chicago, IL 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Camden, 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

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

Camden, NJ and Chicago, IL differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,569 vs $3,139 including rent). Camden, NJ is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Chicago, IL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,382 in Camden, NJ versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,569 per month in Camden, NJ versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Camden, NJ 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.

Safety-wise, Camden, NJ 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 Camden, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.