Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Middletown, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Middletown, NY: $2,641 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Middletown, NY
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Middletown, NY Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Middletown, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,641 in Middletown, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Middletown, NY $2,641

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,815 in Middletown, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Middletown, NY $3,815

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,989 in Middletown, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Middletown, NY $4,989

Chicago, IL costs about 15% more than Middletown, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Middletown, NY sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Middletown, NY by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.77 $19.77

4.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$58.9 $58.9

51.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.84 $10.84

21.68%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.89 $4.89

15.75%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.12 $2.12

24.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.59 $1.59

43.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.92 $5.92

16.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.81 $7.81

13.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.27 $1.27

-1.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.16 $4.16

-10.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$7.64 $7.64

-29.45%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.71 $5.71

-16.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.62 $12.62

9.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$7.38 $7.38

95.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$16.95 $16.95

8.44%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$2.90 $2.90

80.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.48 $1.48

33.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$6.43 $6.43

-36.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.32 $4.32

15.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$5.42 $5.42

-50.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.71 $3.71

-28.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.92 $2.92

-23.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.85 $2.85

9.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.79 $11.79

17.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$24.17 $24.17

-38.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.75 $1.75

45.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$5.30 $5.30

-33.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.78 $1.78

36.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$53.3 $53.3

38.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.97 $2.97

7.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.02 $2.02

-31.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$23.82 $23.82

5.08%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

28.19%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.19%

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

$194 $194

$215 $215

-9.76%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$49.40 $49.40

40.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$65.7 $65.7

-6.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$39.08 $39.08

22.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.25 $14.25

24.98%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,486 $2,486

-27.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$23.5K $23.5K

36.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$40.75 $40.75

64.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$58.6 $58.6

-11.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$75.5 $75.5

34.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$158 $158

-8.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,590 $1,590

58.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,269 $1,269

24.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,563 $2,563

84.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,082 $2,082

29.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,084 $3,084

35.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,354 $2,354

17.58%

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 Middletown, NY: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Middletown, NY

$1.3K 48.1% 19.6% $309

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Middletown, NY

$441 16.7% 1.4% $6.2

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Middletown, NY

$309 11.7% 10.3% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Middletown, NY

$330 12.5% 1.5% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Middletown, NY

$150 5.7% 8.7% $14

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Middletown, NY

$73 2.8% 21.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Middletown, NY

$68 2.6% 19.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,590 in Middletown, 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 $59 in Middletown, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $441 – making Middletown, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Middletown, NY

🕒 Local time

18:05 6:05 PM

19:05 7:05 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

47,648

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Middletown, NY 1,100 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,641 in Middletown, NY – Middletown, NY comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,961 in Middletown, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Middletown, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,590 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $59 in Middletown, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 28% less in Middletown, NY. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Middletown, NY, where all-in costs run around $2,641, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Middletown, NY it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,641 in Middletown, NY to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.