Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Bridgewater, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,677 in Bridgewater, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bridgewater, NJ outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
176

Cost of Living Index in Bridgewater, NJ
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Bridgewater, NJ Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Bridgewater, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,677

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $3,677 in Bridgewater, NJ.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Bridgewater, NJ $3,677

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $5,197 in Bridgewater, NJ.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Bridgewater, NJ $5,197

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $6,717 in Bridgewater, NJ.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Bridgewater, NJ $6,717

Living in Chicago, IL costs roughly 17% less than in Bridgewater, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Bridgewater, NJ 170% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$18.71 $18.71

10.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$78.7 $78.7

13.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.82 $12.82

2.89%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.27 $5.27

7.40%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.57 $2.57

2.72%

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

$5.83 $5.83

17.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.84 $7.84

12.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.32 $1.32

-5.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.44 $4.44

-16.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.10 $3.10

73.87%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.17 $5.17

-8.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$10.14 $10.14

36.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$10.41 $10.41

38.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.32 $17.32

6.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.16 $6.16

-15.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.48 $1.48

33.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.23 $4.23

-4.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.37 $3.37

47.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.03 $3.03

-11.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.72 $2.72

-2.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.95 $1.95

14.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.09 $3.09

1.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$14.79 $14.79

-6.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.17 $12.17

22.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.80 $1.80

41.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.69 $3.69

-4.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$120 $120

-38.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.05 $3.05

4.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.12 $2.12

-34.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$42.36 $42.36

-40.91%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

45.85%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.9K $25.9K

2.91%

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

$194 $194

$174 $174

11.58%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$49.85 $49.85

39.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$49.30 $49.30

25.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$102 $102

-52.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$49.11 $49.11

-44.33%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$17.80 $17.80

0.06%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,031 $2,031

-11.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$16.3K $16.3K

95.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$49.45 $49.45

35.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$62.2 $62.2

-16.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$86.3 $86.3

17.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$110 $110

30.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,308 $2,308

9.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,282 $2,282

-30.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,808 $3,808

24.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$3,551 $3,551

-24.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$6,504 $6,504

-24.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.7

1.64%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bridgewater, NJ: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Bridgewater, NJ

$2.3K 62.1% 44.6% $704

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Bridgewater, NJ

$399 10.8% 10.9% $49

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Bridgewater, NJ

$313 8.5% 9.4% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Bridgewater, NJ

$273 7.4% 16% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Bridgewater, NJ

$139 3.8% 15.4% $25

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Bridgewater, NJ

$134 * 3.6% 43.3% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Bridgewater, NJ

$137 3.7% 64.4% $54

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 $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $2,308 in Bridgewater, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bridgewater, NJ pays 32% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $79 in Bridgewater, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $399 per month, with Bridgewater, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bridgewater, NJ

🕒 Local time

01:14 1:14 AM

02:14 2:14 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

28,633

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

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

Chicago, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Bridgewater, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Chicago, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Chicago, IL. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,308 in Bridgewater, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bridgewater, NJ pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Bridgewater, NJ – a meal for two runs $79 versus $89 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. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Chicago, IL wins on affordability, Bridgewater, NJ on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.