Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,400 in Beacon, NY, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
164

Cost of Living Index in Beacon, NY
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Beacon, NY Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Beacon, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,400

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,400 in Beacon, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Beacon, NY $3,400

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,851 in Beacon, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Beacon, NY $4,851

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,303 in Beacon, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Beacon, NY $6,303

Chicago, IL is about 11% cheaper than Beacon, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Beacon, NY sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Beacon, NY by 150%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.31 $19.31

7.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$79.4 $79.4

12.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.19 $11.19

17.87%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.20 $5.20

8.85%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.22 $2.22

18.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.52 $1.52

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.94 $5.94

15.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$4.96 $4.96

78.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.34 $1.34

-6.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.45 $3.45

7.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.56 $4.56

18.20%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.92 $5.92

-19.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.65 $12.65

9.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$12.00 $12.00

20.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.13 $17.13

7.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.74 $4.74

10.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.78 $1.78

11.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.32 $4.32

-6.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.21 $5.21

-4.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.13 $4.13

-35.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.50 $3.50

-24.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.88 $2.88

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.20 $2.20

42.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.69 $11.69

18.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.06 $15.06

-1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.75 $1.75

45.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.04 $3.04

15.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$195 $195

-62.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.09 $3.09

2.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.03 $2.03

-31.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$23.98 $23.98

4.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.01 $1.01

18.81%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.6K $27.6K

27.06%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.51%

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

$194 $194

$211 $211

-8.01%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$75.2 $75.2

-7.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$64.9 $64.9

-4.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$91.7 $91.7

-47.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.23 $12.23

45.63%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,230 $1,230

45.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$23.5K $23.5K

35.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$38.59 $38.59

73.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$58.4 $58.4

-10.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$74.8 $74.8

35.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$148 $148

-2.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,220 $2,220

13.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,856 $1,856

-14.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,409 $3,409

39.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,925 $2,925

-7.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$4,465 $4,465

-6.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$3,034 $3,034

-8.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.75

0.89%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Beacon, NY: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Beacon, NY

$1.9K 54.6% 17.6% $278

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Beacon, NY

$419 12.3% 6.3% $28

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Beacon, NY

$305 9% 11.6% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Beacon, NY

$351 10.3% 7.9% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Beacon, NY

$144 4.2% 12.2% $20

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Beacon, NY

$208 * 6.1% 123% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Beacon, NY

$116 3.4% 39.1% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,220 in Beacon, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $79 in Beacon, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $419 – making Beacon, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Beacon, NY

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

03:03 3:03 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

13,769

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Beacon, NY 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Beacon, NY costs about 12% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $5,100 in Beacon, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Beacon, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,220 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Kindergarten costs $1,794 per month in Chicago, IL and $1,230 in Beacon, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Beacon, NY – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $3,400 in Beacon, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $3,400 in Beacon, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.