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

😐 Solo nomad: Chicago, IL is 8.6% more expensive than Albany, NY without rent, and 12% more expensive with rent.

😐 Family of 3: Chicago, IL is 12.6% more expensive than Albany, NY without rent, and 11.9% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.82 $20.82

$19.04 $19.04

9.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$79.2 $79.2

26.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.97 $11.97

$13.05 $13.05

-8.28%

Cappuccino

$5.56 $5.56

$5.9 $5.9

-5.76%

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

$3.11 $3.11

$2.83 $2.83

9.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.96 $1.96

23.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.86 $6.86

$5.15 $5.15

33.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.45 $8.45

$5.9 $5.9

43.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

White Bread (500g)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.83 $3.83

8.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$5.76 $5.76

-4.17%

Eggs

$4.65 $4.65

$5.25 $5.25

-11.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 $14.33

$14.32 $14.32

0.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.18 $14.18

4.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 $19.34

$17.36 $17.36

11.41%

Apples (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$4.67 $4.67

10.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.42 $1.42

20.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$4.71 $4.71

-6.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.76 $4.76

-5.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.91 $2.91

-13.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.55 $3.55

-22.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.25 $3.25

-25.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.7 $2.7

$1.78 $1.78

51.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.55 $14.55

4.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.42 $16.42

$13.13 $13.13

25.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.18 $2.18

7.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.7 $3.7

$4.09 $4.09

-9.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.53 $1.53

65.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.1 $74.1

$65 $65

13.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$4.86 $4.86

-31.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.42 $25.42

$27.03 $27.03

-5.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$0.94 $0.94

14.89%

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

$32.4K $32.4K

$29.4K $29.4K

10.12%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.3K $25.3K

3.74%

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

$188 $188

$212 $212

-11.07%

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

$63.7 $63.7

$59.1 $59.1

7.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 $65.2

$78.9 $78.9

-17.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.7 $76.7

$31.7 $31.7

142.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.03 $13.03

$21.85 $21.85

-40.37%

Cinema Ticket

$14.93 $14.93

$15.01 $15.01

-0.53%

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

$2,063 $2,063

$1,419 $1,419

45.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.2K $39.2K

$28.5K $28.5K

37.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.3 $64.3

$51.4 $51.4

25.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

$45.66 $45.66

14.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 $95.2

$84.3 $84.3

12.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$103 $103

39.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,378 $2,378

$1,436 $1,436

65.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 $1,584

$1,303 $1,303

21.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,763 $4,763

$2,856 $2,856

66.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,815 $2,815

$2,555 $2,555

10.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,588 $3,588

$3,512 $3,512

2.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,490 $2,490

$3,006 $3,006

-17.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,275 $5,275

$3,766 $3,766

40.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

6.45

2.33%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 29, 2025

Last update for Albany, NY: October 29, 2025

Similar cities

Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

Dallas, TX

🇺🇸 United States

Denver, CO

🇺🇸 United States

Miami, FL

🇺🇸 United States

San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

Philadelphia, PA

🇺🇸 United States

Atlanta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

Minneapolis, MN

🇺🇸 United States