Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Long Beach, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Long Beach, NY: $2,630 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Long Beach, NY
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Long Beach, NY Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Long Beach, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,630 in Long Beach, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Long Beach, NY $2,630

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,884 in Long Beach, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Long Beach, NY $3,884

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,138 in Long Beach, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Long Beach, NY $5,138

Chicago, IL costs about 15% more than Long Beach, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Long Beach, NY sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Long Beach, NY by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$24.62 $24.62

-15.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$80.1 $80.1

11.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.96 $10.96

20.35%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.59 $5.59

1.25%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.55 $2.55

3.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.48 $1.48

54.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$8.07 $8.07

-14.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.84 $7.84

12.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.26 $1.26

-0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.33 $4.33

-14.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.97 $5.97

-9.72%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$6.85 $6.85

-30.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$13.17 $13.17

5.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$12.07 $12.07

19.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.04 $17.04

7.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.49 $5.49

-4.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.70 $1.70

16.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.36 $4.36

-6.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.45 $5.45

-8.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.11 $3.11

-14.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.08 $3.08

-13.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.91 $2.91

-23.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.85 $2.85

9.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.49 $11.49

20.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.86 $14.86

0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.69 $1.69

50.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.53 $3.53

-0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.77 $1.77

37.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$68.9 $68.9

6.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.01 $3.01

5.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.06 $2.06

-32.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$24.38 $24.38

2.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.11 $1.11

8.11%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.6K $27.6K

27.10%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.48%

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

$194 $194

$170 $170

14.58%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$51.8 $51.8

34.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$49.43 $49.43

24.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$35.88 $35.88

33.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.38 $14.38

23.85%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,970 $1,970

-8.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$16.0K $16.0K

99.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$40.77 $40.77

64.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$58.4 $58.4

-10.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$77.0 $77.0

31.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$101 $101

42.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,570 $1,570

60.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,264 $1,264

24.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,919 $2,919

62.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,047 $2,047

31.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,906 $2,906

44.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,696 $2,696

2.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.75

0.89%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Long Beach, NY: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Long Beach, NY

$1.3K 48.1% 19.9% $314

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Long Beach, NY

$447 17% 0.1% $0.3

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Long Beach, NY

$369 14% 7% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Long Beach, NY

$271 10.3% 16.8% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Long Beach, NY

$125 4.7% 23.9% $39

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Long Beach, NY

$89 3.4% 4.3% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Long Beach, NY

$65 2.5% 22.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,570 in Long Beach, 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 $80 in Long Beach, NY. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $447 in Long Beach, NY – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Long Beach, NY

🕒 Local time

07:11 7:11 AM

08:11 8:11 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

469,450

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Long Beach, NY 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Long Beach, 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 Long Beach, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,630 in Long Beach, NY – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,945 in Long Beach, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Long Beach, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,570 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $80 in Long Beach, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 6% less in Long Beach, NY. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,630 in Long Beach, NY. 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 $2,630 in Long Beach, NY to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.