Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Cherry Hill, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,072 a month against $3,208 in Cherry Hill, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Cherry Hill, NJ despite lower rent and utilities.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
154

Cost of Living Index in Cherry Hill, NJ
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Cherry Hill, NJ Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Cherry Hill, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,208 in Cherry Hill, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Cherry Hill, NJ $3,208

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,874 in Cherry Hill, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Cherry Hill, NJ $4,874

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,539 in Cherry Hill, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Cherry Hill, NJ $6,539

Chicago, IL is about 4% cheaper than Cherry Hill, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Cherry Hill, NJ sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Cherry Hill, NJ by 137%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$22.95 $22.95

-11.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

0.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$12.21 $12.21

5.24%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.15 $5.15

12.23%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.88 $2.88

-4.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.30 $2.30

-1.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$5.93 $5.93

16.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$8.06 $8.06

14.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.44 $1.44

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.28 $4.28

-17.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$7.14 $7.14

-24.65%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$6.29 $6.29

-27.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$12.27 $12.27

11.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$15.51 $15.51

-9.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$18.39 $18.39

-1.79%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.70 $5.70

-9.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.57 $1.57

26.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$5.33 $5.33

-27.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$5.61 $5.61

-13.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$4.11 $4.11

-31.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.89 $4.89

-45.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.52 $2.52

-17.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.46 $2.46

23.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$11.65 $11.65

19.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$17.05 $17.05

-11.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.42 $2.42

8.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$4.52 $4.52

-23.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$6.15 $6.15

-60.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$182 $182

-58.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.63 $2.63

20.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.81 $1.81

-6.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$26.22 $26.22

-5.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.11 $1.11

15.32%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$31.1K $31.1K

14.90%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.5K $25.5K

5.28%

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

$192 $192

$227 $227

-15.58%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$59.9 $59.9

16.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$61.0 $61.0

1.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$51.7 $51.7

-7.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$15.09 $15.09

18.16%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$2,076 $2,076

-12.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$44.6K $44.6K

-8.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$50.8 $50.8

30.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$43.72 $43.72

17.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$106 $106

-2.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$118 $118

21.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$2,063 $2,063

22.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,583 $1,583

2.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$3,248 $3,248

48.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,936 $2,936

-6.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$5,018 $5,018

-1.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Cherry Hill, NJ: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Cherry Hill, NJ

$1.6K 49.4% 2.3% $38

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Cherry Hill, NJ

$485 15.1% 10.4% $45

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Cherry Hill, NJ

$348 10.9% 1.3% $4.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Cherry Hill, NJ

$348 10.9% 7.6% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Cherry Hill, NJ

$143 4.5% 12.4% $20

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Cherry Hill, NJ

$218 6.8% 126% $122

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Cherry Hill, NJ

$82 2.6% 1.8% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $2,063 in Cherry Hill, NJ. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $89 in Cherry Hill, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $485 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Cherry Hill, NJ

🕒 Local time

12:57 12:57 PM

13:57 1:57 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

71,586

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Cherry Hill, NJ 1,080 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $3,208 in Cherry Hill, NJ – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 4% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,812 in Cherry Hill, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cherry Hill, NJ, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,063 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $3,208 in Cherry Hill, NJ. That makes Chicago, IL about 4% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,815 per month in Chicago, IL and $2,076 in Cherry Hill, NJ. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $3,208 in Cherry Hill, NJ. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,072 in Chicago, IL to $3,208 in Cherry Hill, NJ. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.