Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $4,225 in Long Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Long Island, NY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
201

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

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,225

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,225 in Long Island, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Long Island, NY $4,225

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,930 in Long Island, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Long Island, NY $5,930

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $7,634 in Long Island, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Long Island, NY $7,634

Chicago, IL is about 28% cheaper than Long Island, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Long Island, NY sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Long Island, NY by 210%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$25.14 $25.14

-17.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$98.5 $98.5

-9.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.99 $10.99

20.02%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.08 $5.08

11.42%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.14 $2.14

23.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.58 $1.58

44.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$8.02 $8.02

-14.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.91 $7.91

11.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.32 $1.32

-5.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.26 $4.26

-12.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$1.94 $1.94

177.84%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.26 $5.26

-9.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$7.21 $7.21

91.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$11.89 $11.89

21.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$16.22 $16.22

13.32%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.27 $4.27

22.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.20 $1.20

65.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.07 $2.07

96.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.16 $6.16

-19.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.07 $1.07

149.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.18 $2.18

22.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.48 $1.48

51.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.85 $2.85

9.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.85 $11.85

16.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$17.58 $17.58

-15.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.76 $1.76

44.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.09 $4.09

-14.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.97 $2.97

-18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$130 $130

-43.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.99 $2.99

6.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.00 $2.00

-30.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$24.41 $24.41

2.54%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

27.46%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.51%

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

$194 $194

$192 $192

1.38%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$48.26 $48.26

43.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$53.7 $53.7

14.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$31.30 $31.30

53.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$102 $102

-73.17%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.69 $14.69

21.24%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,444 $2,444

-26.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$23.5K $23.5K

35.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$40.07 $40.07

67.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$56.7 $56.7

-8.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$76.3 $76.3

33.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$155 $155

-7.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$3,189 $3,189

-20.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,820 $2,820

-44.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$5,670 $5,670

-16.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$4,315 $4,315

-37.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$5,973 $5,973

-29.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$4,241 $4,241

-34.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,981 $4,981

-1.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.63

2.71%

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 Island, NY: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Long Island, NY

$2.8K 66.8% 78.7% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Long Island, NY

$382 9% 14.7% $66

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Long Island, NY

$366 8.7% 6.1% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Long Island, NY

$294 7% 9.8% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Long Island, NY

$148 3.5% 9.9% $16

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Long Island, NY

$154 3.7% 65.4% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Long Island, NY

$61 1.4% 27.3% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $3,189 in Long Island, 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 $99 in Long Island, NY. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $382 in Long Island, NY – so Long Island, NY wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Long Island, NY

🕒 Local time

20:23 8:23 PM

21:23 9:23 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

7,804,968

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Long Island, NY 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $4,225 in Long Island, NY – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $6,337 in Long Island, NY. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,526 there versus $3,189 in Long Island, NY.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Long Island, NY – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $99 in Long Island, NY. 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 $4,225 in Long Island, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Long Island, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $4,225 in Long Island, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.