Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,486 in Bronx, NY, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
166

Cost of Living Index in Bronx, NY
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Bronx, NY Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Bronx, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,486

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $3,486 in Bronx, NY.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Bronx, NY $3,486

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $4,644 in Bronx, NY.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Bronx, NY $4,644

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $5,802 in Bronx, NY.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Bronx, NY $5,802

Living in Chicago, IL costs roughly 13% less than in Bronx, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Bronx, NY 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$21.83 $21.83

-5.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$60.5 $60.5

47.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.78 $11.78

11.97%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$3.39 $3.39

66.96%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.60 $2.60

1.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.22 $1.22

86.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.59 $6.59

4.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.03 $6.03

46.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.05 $1.05

19.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.57 $3.57

4.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.67 $5.67

-4.94%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.63 $4.63

2.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$13.18 $13.18

5.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$16.69 $16.69

-13.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$16.26 $16.26

13.04%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.87 $3.87

34.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.92 $1.92

3.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.39 $5.39

-24.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.08 $6.08

-18.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.22 $3.22

-17.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.29 $3.29

-19.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.32 $2.32

-3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.03 $2.03

54.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$14.74 $14.74

-6.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$17.96 $17.96

-17.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.56 $2.56

-0.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.11 $4.11

-14.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.02 $3.02

-19.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$153 $153

-51.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.78 $2.78

14.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$3.65 $3.65

-61.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$49.62 $49.62

-49.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.04 $1.04

15.38%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.0K $28.0K

25.25%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.45%

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

$194 $194

$275 $275

-29.37%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$47.80 $47.80

45.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$56.8 $56.8

8.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$53.5 $53.5

-10.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$70.1 $70.1

-61.02%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$13.12 $13.12

35.75%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,722 $2,722

-34.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$54.0K $54.0K

-40.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$108 $108

-38.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$49.15 $49.15

6.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$122 $122

-16.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$134 $134

7.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,713 $2,713

-6.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,895 $1,895

-16.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,263 $2,263

109.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,396 $2,396

12.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$4,758 $4,758

-11.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$3,420 $3,420

-19.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,483 $4,483

9.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

7.01

-2.85%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bronx, NY: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Bronx, NY

$1.9K 54.4% 20.1% $317

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Bronx, NY

$449 12.9% 0.3% $1.4

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Bronx, NY

$311 8.9% 9.8% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Bronx, NY

$380 10.9% 16.7% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Bronx, NY

$186 5.3% 13.3% $22

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Bronx, NY

$186 5.3% 98.8% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Bronx, NY

$80 2.3% 4.6% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $2,713 in Bronx, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $60 in Bronx, NY. Groceries flip the comparison at $447 vs $449, with Chicago, IL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bronx, NY

🕒 Local time

12:17 12:17 PM

13:17 1:17 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

1,385,108

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Bronx, NY 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Chicago, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Bronx, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Chicago, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Chicago, IL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,713 in Bronx, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,794 in Chicago, IL versus $2,722 in Bronx, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bronx, NY – a meal for two runs $60 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.