Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Beach Haven, NJ

For one person, living costs are similar in Chicago, IL and in Beach Haven, NJ: $3,072 and $3,133 a month, rent and utilities included.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
143

Cost of Living Index in Beach Haven, NJ
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Beach Haven, NJ Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Beach Haven, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL versus $3,133 in Beach Haven, NJ.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Beach Haven, NJ $3,133

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,545 in Chicago, IL versus $4,536 in Beach Haven, NJ.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Beach Haven, NJ $4,536

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,019 in Chicago, IL versus $5,939 in Beach Haven, NJ.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Beach Haven, NJ $5,939

Monthly costs are close between Chicago, IL and Beach Haven, NJ; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 127% above, Beach Haven, NJ 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$26.56 $26.56

-23.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$118 $118

-24.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$14.33 $14.33

-10.33%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$6.57 $6.57

-12.02%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$3.91 $3.91

-29.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$3.07 $3.07

-26.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$8.11 $8.11

-15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$10.17 $10.17

-9.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.32 $1.32

-4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.81 $4.81

-26.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$7.49 $7.49

-28.17%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$6.18 $6.18

-26.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$19.91 $19.91

-31.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$18.17 $18.17

-22.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$20.06 $20.06

-9.97%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$7.11 $7.11

-27.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.23 $2.23

-11.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$6.49 $6.49

-40.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$7.13 $7.13

-32.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$4.42 $4.42

-36.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.80 $4.80

-44.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.87 $2.87

-27.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.62 $2.62

15.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$19.36 $19.36

-28.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$19.60 $19.60

-23.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.35 $3.35

-21.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.98 $3.98

-13.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.83 $1.83

32.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$56.6 $56.6

33.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.08 $3.08

2.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.15 $2.15

-20.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$41.44 $41.44

-39.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.16 $1.16

10.34%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$34.6K $34.6K

3.36%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

2.24%

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

$192 $192

$235 $235

-18.44%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$72.3 $72.3

-3.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$69.4 $69.4

-10.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$37.95 $37.95

25.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$22.68 $22.68

-21.38%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,374 $1,374

32.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$20.4K $20.4K

99.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$79.1 $79.1

-16.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$51.0 $51.0

0.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$123 $123

-16.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$140 $140

1.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,368 $1,368

85.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,427 $1,427

13.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,700 $2,700

78.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,027 $2,027

34.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$2,743 $2,743

51.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,673 $2,673

1.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.89

-1.60%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Beach Haven, 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%

Beach Haven, NJ

$1.4K 45.6% 12% $194

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Beach Haven, NJ

$567 18.1% 29.1% $128

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Beach Haven, NJ

$423 13.5% 23% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Beach Haven, NJ

$377 12% 16.5% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Beach Haven, NJ

$177 5.7% 8.3% $14

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Beach Haven, NJ

$78 2.5% 19.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Beach Haven, NJ

$83 2.7% 0.1% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,531 in Chicago, IL and $1,368 in Beach Haven, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $118 in Beach Haven, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $439 vs $567 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Beach Haven, NJ

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

12:49 12:49 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

1,200

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Beach Haven, NJ 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

You’d need roughly $4,608 in Chicago, IL and $4,699 in Beach Haven, 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 $1,368 in Beach Haven, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Beach Haven, NJ runs roughly 25% less than in Chicago, IL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Beach Haven, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.