Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Central Valley, NY Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Central Valley, NY

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Chicago, IL is 14.8% more expensive than Central Valley, NY without rent, and 18.1% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Chicago, IL is 32.1% more expensive than Central Valley, NY without rent, and 24.5% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Chicago, IL
Central Valley, NY
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.53 $20.53
$19.03 $19.03
7.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$102 $102
$74.8 $74.8
36.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.03 $12.03
$10.94 $10.94
9.96%
Cappuccino
$5.62 $5.62
$4.96 $4.96
13.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 $3.07
$2.59 $2.59
18.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$1.99 $1.99
21.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.98 $6.98
$6.07 $6.07
14.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.10 $8.10
$7.07 $7.07
14.57%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Chicago, IL
Central Valley, NY
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$1.00 $1.00
8.00%
White Bread (500g)
$3.95 $3.95
$3.49 $3.49
13.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.52 $5.52
$4.41 $4.41
25.17%
Eggs
$4.55 $4.55
$4.28 $4.28
6.31%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.58 $14.58
$12.16 $12.16
19.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.91 $14.91
$11.42 $11.42
30.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.83 $18.83
$15.21 $15.21
23.80%
Apples (1kg)
$5.34 $5.34
$4.82 $4.82
10.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.76 $1.76
$1.57 $1.57
12.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.39 $4.39
$4.16 $4.16
5.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.37 $4.37
$4.85 $4.85
-9.90%
Potato (1kg)
$2.55 $2.55
$2.90 $2.90
-12.07%
Onion (1kg)
$2.78 $2.78
$2.80 $2.80
-0.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.46 $2.46
$2.02 $2.02
21.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 $2.66
$2.12 $2.12
25.47%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.74 $14.74
$9.36 $9.36
57.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.17 $15.17
$15.39 $15.39
-1.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.45 $2.45
$1.84 $1.84
33.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 $3.68
$3.34 $3.34
10.18%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Chicago, IL
Central Valley, NY
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.52 $2.52
$1.97 $1.97
27.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.5 $74.5
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.29 $3.29
$3.60 $3.60
-8.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.43 $1.43
$1.59 $1.59
-10.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.86 $24.86
$29.39 $29.39
-15.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.09 $1.09
$0.83 $0.83
31.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.3K $31.3K
$29.6K $29.6K
6.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$25.7K $25.7K
4.31%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chicago, IL
Central Valley, NY
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$187 $187
$189 $189
-1.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$62.4 $62.4
$53.5 $53.5
16.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.1 $67.1
$68.7 $68.7
-2.24%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Chicago, IL
Central Valley, NY
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$75.2 $75.2
$42.94 $42.94
75.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.17 $13.17
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.21 $15.21
$13.26 $13.26
14.71%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Chicago, IL
Central Valley, NY
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,039 $2,039
$1,276 $1,276
59.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.3K $39.3K
$23.1K $23.1K
70.18%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Chicago, IL
Central Valley, NY
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.0 $64.0
$51.9 $51.9
23.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.6 $50.6
$39.92 $39.92
26.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 $95.4
$86.0 $86.0
10.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$144 $144
$114 $114
26.47%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Chicago, IL
Central Valley, NY
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,355 $2,355
$1,596 $1,596
47.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,613 $1,613
$1,339 $1,339
20.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,728 $4,728
$2,602 $2,602
81.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,754 $2,754
$2,187 $2,187
25.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,803 $3,803
$2,899 $2,899
31.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,580 $2,580
$2,185 $2,185
18.08%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Chicago, IL
Central Valley, NY
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,738 $4,738
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.6
6.51
1.38%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chicago, IL: April 14, 2026

Last update for Central Valley, NY: April 12, 2026

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 other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities