Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,296 in Astoria, NY, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Astoria, NY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Astoria, NY
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Astoria, NY Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Astoria, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,296

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $3,296 in Astoria, NY.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Astoria, NY $3,296

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $4,596 in Astoria, NY.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Astoria, NY $4,596

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $5,896 in Astoria, NY.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Astoria, NY $5,896

Living in Chicago, IL costs roughly 8% less than in Astoria, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Astoria, NY 142% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.16 $19.16

8.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$80.6 $80.6

10.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.19 $10.19

29.44%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.46 $4.46

26.91%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.63 $1.63

61.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.81 $1.81

25.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.13 $5.13

33.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.80 $7.80

13.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.13 $1.13

10.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.79 $3.79

-1.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.83 $3.83

40.73%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.53 $3.53

34.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$16.48 $16.48

-16.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$8.84 $8.84

62.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$13.43 $13.43

36.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.95 $3.95

32.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.87 $1.87

5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.56 $2.56

58.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.83 $3.83

29.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.47 $2.47

8.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.37 $2.37

12.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.95 $1.95

14.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.56 $2.56

22.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$14.60 $14.60

-5.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$20.14 $20.14

-26.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.76 $1.76

44.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.34 $3.34

5.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.06 $3.06

-20.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$142 $142

-48.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.94 $2.94

8.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.22 $2.22

-37.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$42.29 $42.29

-40.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.89 $0.89

34.83%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$30.3K $30.3K

15.49%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.9K $25.9K

2.81%

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

$194 $194

$113 $113

72.51%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$56.8 $56.8

22.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$50.2 $50.2

22.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$45.60 $45.60

5.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$19.75 $19.75

-9.82%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$3,035 $3,035

-40.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$34.2K $34.2K

-6.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$25.44 $25.44

163.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$20.12 $20.12

159.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$29.45 $29.45

244.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$50.2 $50.2

186.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,298 $2,298

9.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,095 $2,095

-24.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,784 $3,784

25.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$3,131 $3,131

-14.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.45

5.58%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Astoria, NY: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Astoria, NY

$2.1K 63.6% 32.8% $517

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Astoria, NY

$379 11.5% 15.2% $68

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Astoria, NY

$292 8.9% 15.2% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Astoria, NY

$220 6.7% 32.5% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Astoria, NY

$56 1.7% 65.6% $108

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Astoria, NY

$168 5.1% 80.4% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Astoria, NY

$85 2.6% 1.9% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $2,298 in Astoria, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $81 in Astoria, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $379 per month, with Astoria, NY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Astoria, NY

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

06:32 6:32 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

150,165

💱 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 Astoria, NY 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Astoria, NY

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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $3,296 in Astoria, NY, so Chicago, IL is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,555 in Chicago, IL and $4,944 in Astoria, NY to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,298 in Astoria, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL versus $3,296 in Astoria, NY – Chicago, IL is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Chicago, IL runs roughly 48% less than in Astoria, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Chicago, IL 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.