Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,463 in Flemington, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Flemington, NJ outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
165

Cost of Living Index in Flemington, NJ
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Flemington, NJ Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Flemington, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,463

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,463 in Flemington, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Flemington, NJ $3,463

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,792 in Flemington, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Flemington, NJ $5,792

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $8,120 in Flemington, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Flemington, NJ $8,120

Chicago, IL is about 12% cheaper than Flemington, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Flemington, NJ sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Flemington, NJ by 154%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.17 $20.17

2.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$102 $102

-12.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.83 $11.83

11.50%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.12 $5.12

10.55%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.65 $2.65

-0.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.19 $2.19

4.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.01 $5.01

37.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.80 $6.80

30.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.12 $1.12

11.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.25 $3.25

14.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$7.25 $7.25

-25.66%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.42 $5.42

-12.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$16.50 $16.50

-16.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$13.17 $13.17

9.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$20.12 $20.12

-8.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.36 $6.36

-17.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.22 $3.22

-38.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.49 $5.49

-26.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.11 $6.11

-18.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.91 $3.91

-31.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$4.74 $4.74

-43.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.29 $2.29

-2.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.12 $2.12

47.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.09 $9.09

52.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$18.79 $18.79

-20.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.76 $2.76

-7.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.41 $3.41

2.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.04 $2.04

19.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$54.4 $54.4

35.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.03 $3.03

4.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.19 $2.19

-36.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$42.03 $42.03

-40.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.06 $1.06

13.21%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$23.4K $23.4K

49.99%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.11%

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

$194 $194

$249 $249

-21.87%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$61.6 $61.6

12.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$62.9 $62.9

-2.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$84.6 $84.6

-43.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$40.02 $40.02

-31.68%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.17 $12.17

46.34%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$710 $710

152.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$34.8K $34.8K

-8.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$66.0 $66.0

1.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$33.43 $33.43

55.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$56.8 $56.8

78.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$99.9 $99.9

43.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,715 $1,715

47.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,985 $1,985

-20.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$4,987 $4,987

-4.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$4,742 $4,742

-43.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,795 $3,795

10.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$4,115 $4,115

-32.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,998 $3,998

23.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.67

2.10%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Flemington, NJ: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Flemington, NJ

$2K 57.3% 25.8% $407

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Flemington, NJ

$488 14.1% 9% $40

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Flemington, NJ

$316 9.1% 8.3% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Flemington, NJ

$373 10.8% 14.7% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Flemington, NJ

$115 3.3% 29.7% $49

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Flemington, NJ

$77 2.2% 18% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Flemington, NJ

$109 3.2% 30.4% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,715 in Flemington, NJ. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 23% higher in Chicago, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $102 in Flemington, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $488 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Flemington, NJ

🕒 Local time

09:12 9:12 AM

10:12 10:12 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

4,700

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

Chicago, IL
Flemington, NJ

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $3,463 in Flemington, NJ – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 12% 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 $5,194 in Flemington, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Flemington, NJ, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,715 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Flemington, NJ, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $102 in Flemington, NJ. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $3,463 in Flemington, 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 $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $3,463 in Flemington, NJ. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.