Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Bedminster Township, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Bedminster Township, NJ: $2,671 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Bedminster Township, NJ
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Bedminster Township, NJ Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Bedminster Township, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,671

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $2,671 in Bedminster Township, NJ.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Bedminster Township, NJ $2,671

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $4,002 in Bedminster Township, NJ.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Bedminster Township, NJ $4,002

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $5,333 in Bedminster Township, NJ.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Bedminster Township, NJ $5,333

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 18% more expensive than in Bedminster Township, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Bedminster Township, NJ 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$19.25 $19.25

7.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$78.8 $78.8

14.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$13.06 $13.06

-0.92%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$6.33 $6.33

-11.53%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.57 $2.57

2.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.46 $1.46

55.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$9.10 $9.10

-23.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.84 $6.84

29.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.31 $1.31

-3.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.61 $4.61

-17.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.96 $5.96

-11.07%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$7.04 $7.04

-32.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$13.91 $13.91

0.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$10.40 $10.40

40.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$19.95 $19.95

-5.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$6.01 $6.01

-13.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.48 $3.48

-43.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.34 $4.34

-9.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.37 $5.37

-7.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.07 $3.07

-10.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.97 $2.97

-7.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.07 $3.07

-27.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.07 $3.07

-2.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$15.07 $15.07

-6.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$15.09 $15.09

1.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.84 $1.84

40.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.52 $3.52

-0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.28 $2.28

8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.98 $2.98

12.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.12 $2.12

-32.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$42.49 $42.49

-42.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.09 $1.09

15.60%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.6K $27.6K

26.74%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.5K $25.5K

2.33%

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

$193 $193

$171 $171

12.74%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$51.8 $51.8

31.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$50.6 $50.6

21.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$35.41 $35.41

52.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$20.09 $20.09

-11.70%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$2,015 $2,015

-18.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$16.2K $16.2K

91.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$50.3 $50.3

31.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$41.84 $41.84

22.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$85.0 $85.0

17.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$102 $102

37.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,408 $1,408

73.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,358 $1,358

23.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,271 $2,271

107.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,359 $2,359

18.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,606 $2,606

57.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,211 $2,211

19.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.8

0.15%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bedminster Township, NJ: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Bedminster Township, NJ

$1.4K 50.9% 19% $319

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Bedminster Township, NJ

$471 17.6% 4.7% $21

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Bedminster Township, NJ

$344 12.9% 0.3% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Bedminster Township, NJ

$273 10.2% 15.2% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Bedminster Township, NJ

$126 4.7% 22% $35

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Bedminster Township, NJ

$23 * 0.9% 76.2% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Bedminster Township, NJ

$76 2.8% 15.6% $14

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 $2,446 in Chicago, IL and $1,408 in Bedminster Township, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $79.0 in Bedminster Township, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $449 vs $471, with Chicago, IL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bedminster Township, NJ

🕒 Local time

01:01 1:01 AM

02:01 2:01 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

8,200

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Bedminster Township, NJ 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Bedminster Township, NJ wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bedminster Township, NJ the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,708 in Chicago, IL and $4,006 in Bedminster Township, 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: $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,408 in Bedminster Township, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,652 in Chicago, IL versus $2,015 in Bedminster Township, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bedminster Township, NJ – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Bedminster Township, NJ is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bedminster Township, NJ delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,671 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bedminster Township, NJ hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Bedminster Township, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.