Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bradley Beach, NJ: $2,651 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
120

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

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Bradley Beach, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,651

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,651 in Bradley Beach, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Bradley Beach, NJ $2,651

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,755 in Bradley Beach, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Bradley Beach, NJ $3,755

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,859 in Bradley Beach, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Bradley Beach, NJ $4,859

Chicago, IL costs about 16% more than Bradley Beach, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Bradley Beach, NJ sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Bradley Beach, NJ by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$19.10 $19.10

6.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$79.7 $79.7

11.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$10.02 $10.02

28.24%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$6.32 $6.32

-8.54%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.56 $2.56

7.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.49 $1.49

51.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$5.89 $5.89

16.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$6.91 $6.91

33.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.25 $1.25

0.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.47 $4.47

-20.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$5.90 $5.90

-8.81%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$3.46 $3.46

31.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$13.72 $13.72

-0.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$10.11 $10.11

39.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$10.64 $10.64

69.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$3.03 $3.03

70.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.33 $1.33

48.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$2.80 $2.80

38.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$3.29 $3.29

46.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.12 $2.12

32.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.20 $2.20

21.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.94 $1.94

6.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.09 $1.09

177.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$14.67 $14.67

-5.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.08 $15.08

-0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.79 $1.79

46.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.52 $3.52

-1.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.76 $1.76

38.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$52.5 $52.5

43.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.06 $3.06

3.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.19 $2.19

-22.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$42.64 $42.64

-41.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.13 $1.13

13.27%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.3K $27.3K

31.25%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

2.22%

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

$192 $192

$172 $172

11.54%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$51.4 $51.4

35.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$49.67 $49.67

25.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$37.10 $37.10

28.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$20.42 $20.42

-12.68%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,768 $1,768

2.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$20.4K $20.4K

98.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$49.40 $49.40

33.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$41.91 $41.91

22.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$85.0 $85.0

21.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$104 $104

36.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,439 $1,439

75.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,435 $1,435

12.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,537 $2,537

90.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,123 $2,123

28.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$2,985 $2,985

39.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,667 $2,667

2.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.72

0.89%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Bradley Beach, NJ: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Bradley Beach, NJ

$1.4K 54.1% 11.5% $186

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Bradley Beach, NJ

$347 13.1% 21% $92

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Bradley Beach, NJ

$318 12% 7.5% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Bradley Beach, NJ

$273 10.3% 15.6% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Bradley Beach, NJ

$126 4.8% 22.8% $37

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Bradley Beach, NJ

$74 2.8% 23.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Bradley Beach, NJ

$78 2.9% 6.6% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,439 in Bradley Beach, NJ. 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 $80 in Bradley Beach, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $347 – making Bradley Beach, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bradley Beach, NJ

🕒 Local time

13:10 1:10 PM

14:10 2:10 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

4,200

💱 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 Bradley Beach, NJ 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,651 in Bradley Beach, NJ – Bradley Beach, NJ comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,977 in Bradley Beach, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bradley Beach, NJ, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,439 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $80 in Bradley Beach, NJ. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,651 in Bradley Beach, NJ. That makes Bradley Beach, NJ about 14% cheaper.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Bradley Beach, NJ, where all-in costs run around $2,651, than in Chicago, IL at $3,072. In Bradley Beach, NJ it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bradley Beach, NJ – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Bradley Beach, NJ is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 14% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.