Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Barnegat, NJ: $2,609 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Barnegat, NJ
Learn more

Barnegat, NJ Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Barnegat, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL versus $2,609 in Barnegat, NJ.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Barnegat, NJ $2,609

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,545 in Chicago, IL versus $3,925 in Barnegat, NJ.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Barnegat, NJ $3,925

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,019 in Chicago, IL versus $5,242 in Barnegat, NJ.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Barnegat, NJ $5,242

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 18% more expensive than in Barnegat, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 127% above, Barnegat, NJ 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$18.22 $18.22

11.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$95.6 $95.6

-7.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$10.68 $10.68

20.32%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.17 $5.17

11.80%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$3.30 $3.30

-16.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.72 $2.72

-16.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$7.08 $7.08

-2.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$8.15 $8.15

13.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.10 $1.10

14.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.06 $4.06

-12.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.22 $4.22

27.49%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$4.86 $4.86

-6.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$12.57 $12.57

8.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$13.01 $13.01

8.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$18.55 $18.55

-2.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$6.17 $6.17

-16.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.54 $1.54

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$5.55 $5.55

-30.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$3.88 $3.88

24.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.79 $2.79

0.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.85 $2.85

-6.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.36 $2.36

-12.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.23 $2.23

35.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$13.69 $13.69

1.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.74 $15.74

-4.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.61 $2.61

0.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.94 $3.94

-12.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.04 $2.04

19.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$58.0 $58.0

29.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.78 $1.78

78.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.38 $1.38

23.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$24.24 $24.24

2.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.97 $0.97

31.96%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$33.3K $33.3K

7.44%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

0.05%

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

$192 $192

$211 $211

-9.04%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$65.9 $65.9

5.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$81.5 $81.5

-23.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$40.06 $40.06

19.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$14.52 $14.52

22.80%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,951 $1,951

-7.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$20.6K $20.6K

97.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$52.9 $52.9

25.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$62.6 $62.6

-17.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$92.0 $92.0

12.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$110 $110

30.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,398 $1,398

81.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,217 $1,217

33.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,354 $2,354

105.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,111 $2,111

29.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$3,227 $3,227

28.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,127 $2,127

28.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.9

-1.74%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Barnegat, 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%

Barnegat, NJ

$1.2K 46.7% 24.9% $404

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Barnegat, NJ

$431 16.5% 1.9% $8.5

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Barnegat, NJ

$316 12.1% 8.2% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Barnegat, NJ

$358 13.7% 10.7% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Barnegat, NJ

$143 5.5% 12.8% $21

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Barnegat, NJ

$75 2.9% 22.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Barnegat, NJ

$69 2.7% 17.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,531 in Chicago, IL and $1,398 in Barnegat, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $96 in Barnegat, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $439 vs $431, with Barnegat, NJ cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Barnegat, NJ

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

12:25 12:25 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

2,817

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,609 in Barnegat, NJ, so Barnegat, NJ is about 15% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,608 in Chicago, IL and $3,913 in Barnegat, NJ 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: $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,398 in Barnegat, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,815 in Chicago, IL versus $1,951 in Barnegat, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chicago, IL – a meal for two runs $89 versus $96 in Barnegat, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,609 in Barnegat, NJ versus $3,072 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barnegat, NJ but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Barnegat, NJ the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.