Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Atlantic City, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Atlantic City, NJ: $2,815 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Atlantic City, NJ
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Atlantic City, NJ Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Atlantic City, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Atlantic City, NJ

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 Atlantic City, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL versus $2,815 in Atlantic City, NJ.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Atlantic City, NJ $2,815

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,545 in Chicago, IL versus $4,199 in Atlantic City, NJ.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Atlantic City, NJ $4,199

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,019 in Chicago, IL versus $5,583 in Atlantic City, NJ.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Atlantic City, NJ $5,583

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 9% more expensive than in Atlantic City, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 127% above, Atlantic City, NJ 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$19.66 $19.66

3.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$99.2 $99.2

-10.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$11.30 $11.30

13.72%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.70 $5.70

1.40%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.26 $2.26

21.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.92 $1.92

17.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$5.83 $5.83

18.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$8.94 $8.94

3.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.20 $1.20

5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.41 $3.41

4.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$7.17 $7.17

-24.97%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$4.34 $4.34

4.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$11.03 $11.03

23.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$16.78 $16.78

-16.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$20.36 $20.36

-11.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$7.74 $7.74

-33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.81 $3.81

-48.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$5.44 $5.44

-28.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$6.11 $6.11

-20.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.92 $3.92

-28.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.69 $4.69

-43.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.62 $2.62

-20.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.43 $2.43

24.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$14.24 $14.24

-2.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.36 $13.36

12.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.75 $2.75

-4.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.25 $3.25

6.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.95 $2.95

-17.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$90.0 $90.0

-16.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.94 $2.94

7.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.22 $2.22

-23.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$41.74 $41.74

-40.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.89 $0.89

43.82%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$20.3K $20.3K

76.44%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.7K $24.7K

8.69%

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

$192 $192

$223 $223

-13.72%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$61.6 $61.6

12.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$61.2 $61.2

1.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$29.58 $29.58

61.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

$50.8 $50.8

-46.67%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$16.85 $16.85

5.82%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$494 $494

267.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$7,073 $7,073

474.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$69.9 $69.9

-5.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$31.16 $31.16

64.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$117 $117

-11.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$120 $120

18.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,762 $1,762

43.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,323 $1,323

22.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,377 $2,377

103.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,132 $2,132

28.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$4,349 $4,349

-4.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$4,265 $4,265

-36.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$4,006 $4,006

22.91%

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 Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Atlantic City, NJ: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Atlantic City, NJ

$1.3K 47% 18.4% $298

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Atlantic City, NJ

$492 17.5% 12% $53

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Atlantic City, NJ

$323 11.5% 6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Atlantic City, NJ

$345 12.3% 6.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Atlantic City, NJ

$152 5.4% 6.9% $11

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Atlantic City, NJ

$116 4.1% 19.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Atlantic City, NJ

$63 2.3% 24.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,531 in Chicago, IL and $1,762 in Atlantic City, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 23% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $99 in Atlantic City, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $439 vs $492 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Atlantic City, NJ

🕒 Local time

17:30 5:30 PM

18:30 6:30 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

39,958

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Atlantic City, NJ 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Atlantic City, NJ

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 Atlantic City, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,815 in Atlantic City, NJ, so Atlantic City, NJ is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,762 in Atlantic City, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Chicago, IL pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Chicago, IL – a meal for two runs $89 versus $99 in Atlantic City, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 – Atlantic City, NJ wins on affordability, Chicago, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.