Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Camden, NJ: $2,569 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Camden, NJ
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Camden, NJ Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Camden, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $2,569 in Camden, NJ.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Camden, NJ $2,569

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $3,856 in Camden, NJ.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Camden, NJ $3,856

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $5,143 in Camden, NJ.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Camden, NJ $5,143

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 22% more expensive than in Camden, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Camden, NJ 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$20.17 $20.17

2.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$78.9 $78.9

14.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.88 $11.88

8.92%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.34 $5.34

4.87%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.58 $2.58

2.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.30 $2.30

-1.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.03 $6.03

15.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.79 $7.79

13.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.46 $1.46

-13.01%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.48 $3.48

9.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$7.19 $7.19

-26.29%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$5.05 $5.05

-5.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$12.33 $12.33

13.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$12.85 $12.85

13.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$18.01 $18.01

4.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.47 $5.47

-5.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.55 $1.55

27.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$5.14 $5.14

-23.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.28 $5.28

-6.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.87 $2.87

-3.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.07 $3.07

-10.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.51 $2.51

-11.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.47 $2.47

20.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$11.64 $11.64

20.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.82 $14.82

3.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.40 $2.40

7.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.26 $3.26

7.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.07 $2.07

19.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.72 $2.72

22.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.60 $1.60

-10.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$24.18 $24.18

0.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.16 $1.16

8.62%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$31.3K $31.3K

11.88%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.3K $26.3K

-0.83%

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

$193 $193

$219 $219

-12.05%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$61.7 $61.7

10.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$61.7 $61.7

-0.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$38.94 $38.94

38.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$15.52 $15.52

14.30%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$2,186 $2,186

-24.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$34.4K $34.4K

-9.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$48.59 $48.59

35.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$47.56 $47.56

7.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$102 $102

-1.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$120 $120

16.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,382 $1,382

77.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,228 $1,228

36.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,815 $2,815

67.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,180 $2,180

28.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,470 $2,470

66.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,498 $2,498

6.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$3,216 $3,216

51.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.62

2.87%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Camden, 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%

Camden, NJ

$1.2K 47.8% 26.8% $450

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Camden, NJ

$440 17.1% 2.1% $9.5

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Camden, NJ

$326 12.7% 5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Camden, NJ

$343 13.3% 6.3% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Camden, NJ

$143 5.6% 11.2% $18

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Camden, NJ

$19 * 0.7% 80% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Camden, NJ

$70 2.7% 21.9% $20

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 $1,382 in Camden, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 51% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $79.0 in Camden, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $440 per month, with Camden, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Camden, NJ

🕒 Local time

21:14 9:14 PM

22:14 10:14 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

77,344

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Camden, NJ 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Chicago, IL and Camden, NJ differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($3,139 vs $2,569 including rent). Camden, NJ is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 51% 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: $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,382 in Camden, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL versus $2,569 in Camden, NJ – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Camden, 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.

Safety-wise, Chicago, IL and Camden, NJ 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 Camden, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.