Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Albany, NY: $2,868 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Albany, NY
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Albany, NY Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Albany, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,868

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Albany, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chicago, IL and in Albany, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $2,868 in Albany, NY.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Albany, NY $2,868

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $4,155 in Albany, NY.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Albany, NY $4,155

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $5,442 in Albany, NY.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Albany, NY $5,442

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 6% more expensive than in Albany, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Albany, NY 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$27.05 $27.05

-23.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$98.6 $98.6

-9.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$15.24 $15.24

-13.45%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.58 $6.58

-13.98%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.60 $2.60

1.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.98 $1.98

15.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.08 $6.08

12.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$10.36 $10.36

-14.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.07 $1.07

16.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.19 $3.19

16.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$6.90 $6.90

-21.88%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.30 $5.30

-10.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$16.72 $16.72

-17.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$16.03 $16.03

-10.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.56 $18.56

-0.97%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.90 $4.90

6.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.38 $1.38

43.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.66 $5.66

-28.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.63 $4.63

7.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.30 $3.30

-19.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.57 $3.57

-25.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.32 $2.32

-3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.04 $2.04

53.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$14.90 $14.90

-7.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.18 $14.18

4.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.06 $2.06

23.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.83 $3.83

-8.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.53 $1.53

58.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$64.3 $64.3

14.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.86 $4.86

-34.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.42 $1.42

-2.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$30.47 $30.47

-17.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.11 $1.11

8.11%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.7K $27.7K

26.56%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.64%

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

$194 $194

$211 $211

-7.74%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$69.6 $69.6

-0.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$89.3 $89.3

-31.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$35.93 $35.93

33.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$39.42 $39.42

-30.64%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.27 $15.27

16.63%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,473 $1,473

21.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$17.0K $17.0K

88.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$54.2 $54.2

23.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$39.13 $39.13

33.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$112 $112

-9.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$108 $108

32.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,448 $1,448

74.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,345 $1,345

17.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,529 $2,529

87.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,974 $1,974

36.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,468 $2,468

69.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,345 $2,345

18.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,350 $4,350

13.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.66

2.25%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Albany, NY: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Albany, NY

$1.3K 46.9% 14.8% $233

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Albany, NY

$453 15.8% 1.3% $5.6

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Albany, NY

$410 14.3% 19% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Albany, NY

$370 12.9% 13.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Albany, NY

$141 4.9% 13.9% $23

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Albany, NY

$82 2.9% 11.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Albany, NY

$66 2.3% 20.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,448 in Albany, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 13% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $99 in Albany, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $453 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Albany, NY

🕒 Local time

07:51 7:51 AM

08:51 8:51 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

101,228

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Albany, NY 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Albany, NY

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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

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

Albany, NY wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Albany, NY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Chicago, IL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,448 in Albany, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Albany, NY runs roughly 13% less than in Chicago, IL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL versus $2,868 in Albany, NY – Albany, NY is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Albany, NY 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.

It comes down to priorities – Albany, NY wins on affordability, Chicago, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.