Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Brookhaven, NY: $2,722 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
133

Cost of Living Index in Brookhaven, NY
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Brookhaven, NY Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Brookhaven, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $2,722 in Brookhaven, NY.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Brookhaven, NY $2,722

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $4,065 in Brookhaven, NY.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Brookhaven, NY $4,065

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $5,408 in Brookhaven, NY.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Brookhaven, NY $5,408

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 15% more expensive than in Brookhaven, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Brookhaven, NY 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$24.74 $24.74

-16.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$98.9 $98.9

-8.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.20 $11.20

15.54%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.35 $5.35

4.67%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.24 $2.24

17.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.54 $1.54

47.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$8.01 $8.01

-12.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$8.20 $8.20

7.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.26 $1.26

0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.31 $4.31

-11.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$7.76 $7.76

-31.70%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$5.75 $5.75

-17.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$12.61 $12.61

10.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$11.62 $11.62

25.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$17.07 $17.07

9.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.54 $5.54

-6.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.73 $1.73

14.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$6.16 $6.16

-36.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$6.14 $6.14

-19.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$5.47 $5.47

-49.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.77 $3.77

-26.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.79 $2.79

-20.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.94 $2.94

1.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$11.50 $11.50

21.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$24.08 $24.08

-36.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.71 $1.71

50.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$5.49 $5.49

-36.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.86 $1.86

32.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.93 $2.93

13.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.03 $2.03

-29.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$23.54 $23.54

3.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.10 $1.10

14.55%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.6K $27.6K

26.94%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.39%

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

$193 $193

$211 $211

-8.58%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$75.6 $75.6

-9.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$64.3 $64.3

-4.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$40.96 $40.96

32.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$14.76 $14.76

20.19%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$2,237 $2,237

-26.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$23.6K $23.6K

31.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$41.13 $41.13

60.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$56.5 $56.5

-9.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$76.1 $76.1

31.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$158 $158

-10.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,587 $1,587

54.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,275 $1,275

31.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,527 $2,527

86.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,118 $2,118

31.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$3,099 $3,099

32.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,127 $2,127

24.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.75

0.89%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Brookhaven, NY: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Brookhaven, NY

$1.3K 46.9% 24% $403

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Brookhaven, NY

$489 18% 8.7% $39

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Brookhaven, NY

$367 13.5% 6.9% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Brookhaven, NY

$351 12.9% 8.8% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Brookhaven, NY

$149 5.5% 7.4% $12

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Brookhaven, NY

$21 * 0.8% 78.5% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Brookhaven, NY

$70 2.6% 21.3% $19

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 $1,587 in Brookhaven, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $99.0 in Brookhaven, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $489 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Brookhaven, NY

🕒 Local time

05:19 5:19 AM

06:19 6:19 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

11,674

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Brookhaven, NY 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Brookhaven, NY is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, transport, and leisure. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,708 in Chicago, IL and $4,083 in Brookhaven, NY 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 $1,587 in Brookhaven, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Chicago, IL pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL versus $2,722 in Brookhaven, NY – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Brookhaven, NY is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Brookhaven, NY is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chicago, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chicago, IL and Brookhaven, NY are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Brookhaven, NY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.