Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,878 in Bayonne, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bayonne, NJ outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
185

Cost of Living Index in Bayonne, NJ
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Bayonne, NJ Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Bayonne, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,878

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $3,878 in Bayonne, NJ.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Bayonne, NJ $3,878

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $5,433 in Bayonne, NJ.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Bayonne, NJ $5,433

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $6,988 in Bayonne, NJ.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Bayonne, NJ $6,988

Living in Chicago, IL costs roughly 22% less than in Bayonne, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Bayonne, NJ 185% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.13 $20.13

2.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$79.0 $79.0

12.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.83 $11.83

11.50%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.65 $5.65

0.18%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.43 $2.43

8.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.49 $1.49

53.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$8.03 $8.03

-14.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.03 $7.03

25.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.39 $1.39

-10.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.62 $4.62

-19.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$7.29 $7.29

-26.06%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$7.13 $7.13

-33.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$13.98 $13.98

-1.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$16.89 $16.89

-14.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.74 $19.74

-6.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.07 $6.07

-14.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.51 $3.51

-43.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.20 $4.20

-3.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.36 $5.36

-7.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.96 $2.96

-9.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.12 $3.12

-14.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.53 $2.53

-11.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.06 $3.06

2.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$15.03 $15.03

-8.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.26 $15.26

-2.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.66 $2.66

-4.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.53 $3.53

-0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.27 $2.27

7.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.02 $3.02

5.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.19 $2.19

-36.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$42.11 $42.11

-40.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.15 $1.15

4.35%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.5K $27.5K

27.19%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.6K $25.6K

4.33%

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

$194 $194

$172 $172

13.09%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$49.90 $49.90

39.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$62.8 $62.8

-1.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$19.78 $19.78

142.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$20.32 $20.32

-12.35%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,991 $1,991

-9.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$15.9K $15.9K

101.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$49.48 $49.48

35.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$75.6 $75.6

-30.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$86.9 $86.9

16.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$104 $104

37.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,026 $2,026

24.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,523 $2,523

-37.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,446 $2,446

93.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$3,922 $3,922

-31.34%

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

$4,591 $4,591

7.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.67

2.10%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bayonne, NJ: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Bayonne, NJ

$2.5K 65% 59.9% $945

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Bayonne, NJ

$511 13.2% 14.2% $64

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Bayonne, NJ

$334 8.6% 3.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Bayonne, NJ

$285 7.3% 12.6% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Bayonne, NJ

$142 3.7% 13.2% $22

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Bayonne, NJ

$23 * 0.6% 75.3% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Bayonne, NJ

$60 1.6% 27.7% $23

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $2,026 in Bayonne, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $79 in Bayonne, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $447 vs $511, with Chicago, IL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bayonne, NJ

🕒 Local time

15:17 3:17 PM

16:17 4:17 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

58,844

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Bayonne, NJ 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Chicago, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Bayonne, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Chicago, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 7% 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 $2,026 in Bayonne, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Bayonne, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL versus $3,878 in Bayonne, NJ – Chicago, IL is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.