Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and East Hampton, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in East Hampton, NY: $2,526 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in East Hampton, NY
Learn more

East Hampton, NY Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

East Hampton, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,526 in East Hampton, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
East Hampton, NY $2,526

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,756 in East Hampton, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
East Hampton, NY $3,756

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,986 in East Hampton, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
East Hampton, NY $4,986

Chicago, IL costs about 20% more than East Hampton, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and East Hampton, NY sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, East Hampton, NY by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.87 $19.87

4.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$75.0 $75.0

18.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.56 $11.56

14.10%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.21 $5.21

8.64%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.60 $2.60

1.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.05 $2.05

11.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.96 $5.96

15.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.42 $7.42

19.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.06 $1.06

17.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.65 $3.65

1.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.47 $4.47

20.58%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.25 $4.25

11.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.67 $12.67

9.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$11.35 $11.35

26.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.08 $17.08

7.61%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.04 $5.04

3.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.65 $1.65

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.68 $4.68

-13.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.77 $4.77

4.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.48 $2.48

7.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.29 $3.29

-19.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.95 $1.95

14.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.12 $2.12

47.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$10.22 $10.22

35.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.85 $14.85

0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.12 $2.12

19.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.15 $3.15

11.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.08 $2.08

16.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$60.6 $60.6

21.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.77 $2.77

14.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.55 $1.55

-10.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$28.16 $28.16

-11.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$30.8K $30.8K

13.87%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$24.7K $24.7K

7.93%

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

$194 $194

$213 $213

-8.72%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$51.4 $51.4

35.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$67.5 $67.5

-8.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$41.21 $41.21

16.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.99 $12.99

37.11%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,502 $1,502

19.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$21.7K $21.7K

47.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$59.1 $59.1

13.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$46.64 $46.64

11.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$80.8 $80.8

25.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$97.5 $97.5

47.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,754 $1,754

44.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,201 $1,201

31.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,807 $2,807

68.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,083 $2,083

29.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,982 $2,982

40.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,527 $2,527

9.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.57

3.65%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for East Hampton, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

East Hampton, NY

$1.2K 47.5% 23.9% $377

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

East Hampton, NY

$399 15.8% 10.7% $48

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

East Hampton, NY

$319 12.7% 7.4% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

East Hampton, NY

$332 13.1% 1.9% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

East Hampton, NY

$128 5.1% 22.1% $36

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

East Hampton, NY

$79 3.1% 14.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

East Hampton, NY

$67 2.7% 19.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,754 in East Hampton, NY. 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 $75 in East Hampton, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $399 – making East Hampton, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 East Hampton, NY

🕒 Local time

16:35 4:35 PM

17:35 5:35 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

28,385

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL East Hampton, NY 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,526 in East Hampton, NY – East Hampton, NY comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,789 in East Hampton, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in East Hampton, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,754 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $75 in East Hampton, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,526 in East Hampton, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward East Hampton, NY – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, East Hampton, NY is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 17% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.