Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Berkeley Heights, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Berkeley Heights, NJ: $2,790 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Berkeley Heights, NJ
Learn more

Berkeley Heights, NJ Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Berkeley Heights, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,790

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $2,790 in Berkeley Heights, NJ.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Berkeley Heights, NJ $2,790

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $4,014 in Berkeley Heights, NJ.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Berkeley Heights, NJ $4,014

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $5,238 in Berkeley Heights, NJ.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Berkeley Heights, NJ $5,238

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 12% more expensive than in Berkeley Heights, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Berkeley Heights, NJ 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$18.98 $18.98

8.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$79.6 $79.6

13.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$12.92 $12.92

0.15%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$6.26 $6.26

-10.54%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.44 $2.44

8.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.48 $1.48

53.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$8.85 $8.85

-21.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.05 $7.05

25.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.33 $1.33

-4.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.42 $4.42

-14.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$6.12 $6.12

-13.40%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$7.02 $7.02

-32.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$13.79 $13.79

1.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$10.43 $10.43

40.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$20.07 $20.07

-6.48%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$6.18 $6.18

-16.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.49 $3.49

-43.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.39 $4.39

-10.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.35 $5.35

-7.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.13 $3.13

-11.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.06 $3.06

-9.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.02 $3.02

-26.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.95 $2.95

1.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$14.99 $14.99

-6.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.71 $14.71

3.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.78 $1.78

44.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.56 $3.56

-1.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.80 $1.80

37.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.96 $2.96

12.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.20 $2.20

-35.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$41.18 $41.18

-40.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.15 $1.15

9.57%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.3K $27.3K

28.39%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.5K $25.5K

2.44%

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

$193 $193

$173 $173

11.45%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$50.2 $50.2

36.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$50.7 $50.7

20.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$44.00 $44.00

23.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$20.64 $20.64

-14.05%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,996 $1,996

-17.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$15.7K $15.7K

97.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$50.7 $50.7

30.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$41.51 $41.51

23.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$85.0 $85.0

17.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$102 $102

37.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,833 $1,833

33.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,476 $1,476

13.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,551 $2,551

84.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,259 $2,259

23.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,402 $2,402

70.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,298 $2,298

15.31%

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 Berkeley Heights, NJ: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Berkeley Heights, NJ

$1.5K 52.9% 12% $202

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Berkeley Heights, NJ

$468 16.8% 4.2% $19

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Berkeley Heights, NJ

$340 12.2% 1.1% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Berkeley Heights, NJ

$274 9.8% 15% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Berkeley Heights, NJ

$126 4.5% 22% $35

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Berkeley Heights, NJ

$21 * 0.8% 77.8% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Berkeley Heights, NJ

$85 3.1% 4.8% $4.3

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 $1,833 in Berkeley Heights, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $80.0 in Berkeley Heights, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $449 vs $468, with Chicago, IL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Berkeley Heights, NJ

🕒 Local time

22:39 10:39 PM

23:39 11:39 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

13,575

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Berkeley Heights, NJ 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Chicago, IL and Berkeley Heights, NJ differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($3,139 vs $2,790 including rent). Berkeley Heights, NJ is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,708 in Chicago, IL and $4,185 in Berkeley Heights, 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 $1,833 in Berkeley Heights, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,652 in Chicago, IL versus $1,996 in Berkeley Heights, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Berkeley Heights, NJ – a meal for two runs $80.0 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 $3,000. Berkeley Heights, NJ 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.

Expats usually find Berkeley Heights, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.