Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,139 a month against $3,314 in Cranford, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cranford, NJ outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
159

Cost of Living Index in Cranford, NJ
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Cranford, NJ Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Cranford, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,314

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,314 in Cranford, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Cranford, NJ $3,314

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,719 in Cranford, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Cranford, NJ $4,719

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,124 in Cranford, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Cranford, NJ $6,124

Chicago, IL is about 5% cheaper than Cranford, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Cranford, NJ sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Cranford, NJ by 145%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$22.46 $22.46

-8.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$111 $111

-18.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$13.16 $13.16

-1.67%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.20 $5.20

7.69%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.54 $2.54

3.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$3.08 $3.08

-26.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.88 $6.88

1.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$8.74 $8.74

1.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.21 $1.21

4.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.19 $4.19

-9.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.77 $3.77

40.58%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.28 $4.28

11.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$16.67 $16.67

-16.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$11.91 $11.91

22.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$23.32 $23.32

-19.51%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.43 $4.43

17.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.35 $1.35

46.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.10 $4.10

-4.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.09 $4.09

21.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.14 $2.14

28.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.73 $2.73

1.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.37 $3.37

-34.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.54 $2.54

17.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$14.91 $14.91

-5.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.71 $14.71

3.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.70 $1.70

51.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.18 $3.18

10.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$4.86 $4.86

-49.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$5.12 $5.12

-34.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$3.08 $3.08

-53.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$34.82 $34.82

-30.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.91 $0.91

38.46%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$23.4K $23.4K

49.50%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$22.9K $22.9K

14.06%

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

$193 $193

$208 $208

-7.46%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$30.27 $30.27

125.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$50.1 $50.1

22.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$40.87 $40.87

32.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$16.27 $16.27

9.04%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,627 $1,627

1.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$65.1K $65.1K

-52.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$88.4 $88.4

-25.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$56.7 $56.7

-9.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$138 $138

-27.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$152 $152

-7.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$2,532 $2,532

-3.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,927 $1,927

-12.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$3,713 $3,713

27.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,866 $2,866

-2.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,962 $2,962

38.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$4,116 $4,116

-35.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.99

-2.58%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cranford, NJ: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Cranford, NJ

$1.9K 58.1% 14.9% $249

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Cranford, NJ

$433 13.1% 3.7% $16

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Cranford, NJ

$356 10.7% 3.6% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Cranford, NJ

$289 8.7% 10.4% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Cranford, NJ

$196 5.9% 21.5% $35

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Cranford, NJ

$40 * 1.2% 58% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Cranford, NJ

$73 2.2% 18.1% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $2,532 in Cranford, 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $111 in Cranford, NJ. Groceries tell a different story – $449 in Chicago, IL vs $433 in Cranford, NJ – so Cranford, NJ wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Cranford, NJ

🕒 Local time

22:40 10:40 PM

23:40 11:40 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

22,369

💱 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 Cranford, NJ 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $3,314 in Cranford, NJ – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,971 in Cranford, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chicago, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $111 in Cranford, NJ. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Cranford, NJ – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $3,314 in Cranford, 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 $3,139 in Chicago, IL to $3,314 in Cranford, NJ. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chicago, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cranford, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.