Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Mount Laurel, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Mount Laurel, NJ: $2,546 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Mount Laurel, NJ
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Mount Laurel, NJ Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Mount Laurel, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,546 in Mount Laurel, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Mount Laurel, NJ $2,546

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,715 in Mount Laurel, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Mount Laurel, NJ $3,715

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,885 in Mount Laurel, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Mount Laurel, NJ $4,885

Chicago, IL costs about 23% more than Mount Laurel, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Mount Laurel, NJ sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Mount Laurel, NJ by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$17.17 $17.17

20.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$81.2 $81.2

11.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.78 $11.78

9.85%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.17 $5.17

8.32%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.05 $3.05

-13.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.94 $1.94

17.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$3.02 $3.02

131.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$5.87 $5.87

50.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.46 $1.46

-13.01%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.81 $2.81

35.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.43 $5.43

-2.39%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.95 $3.95

20.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$12.28 $12.28

13.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$6.56 $6.56

122.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$13.33 $13.33

40.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.66 $5.66

-8.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.61 $1.61

22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.34 $4.34

-9.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.46 $4.46

11.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.23 $2.23

23.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.14 $3.14

-12.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.38 $2.38

-6.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.37 $2.37

25.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$11.68 $11.68

20.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.77 $14.77

3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.43 $2.43

6.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.46 $4.46

-21.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.14 $2.14

15.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.77 $2.77

20.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.52 $1.52

-5.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$23.84 $23.84

2.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.10 $1.10

14.55%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$32.5K $32.5K

7.72%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.6K $26.6K

-1.88%

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

$193 $193

$212 $212

-9.14%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$63.0 $63.0

8.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$64.8 $64.8

-5.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$38.85 $38.85

39.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$15.47 $15.47

14.67%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$2,268 $2,268

-27.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$41.8K $41.8K

-25.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$48.83 $48.83

35.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$47.01 $47.01

9.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$105 $105

-4.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$142 $142

-0.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,569 $1,569

55.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,312 $1,312

27.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,461 $2,461

91.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,148 $2,148

30.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$3,099 $3,099

32.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,106 $2,106

25.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.62

2.87%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mount Laurel, NJ: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Mount Laurel, NJ

$1.3K 51.6% 21.8% $365

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Mount Laurel, NJ

$369 14.5% 17.9% $80

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Mount Laurel, NJ

$282 11.1% 18% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Mount Laurel, NJ

$340 13.4% 5.5% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Mount Laurel, NJ

$154 6.1% 4.4% $7

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Mount Laurel, NJ

$19 * 0.7% 80.1% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Mount Laurel, NJ

$70 2.7% 22.1% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,569 in Mount Laurel, NJ. 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $81.0 in Mount Laurel, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $369 – making Mount Laurel, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Mount Laurel, NJ

🕒 Local time

21:14 9:14 PM

22:14 10:14 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

40,326

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Mount Laurel, NJ 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Mount Laurel, NJ

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 Mount Laurel, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,546 in Mount Laurel, NJ – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,819 in Mount Laurel, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mount Laurel, NJ, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $81.0 in Mount Laurel, NJ. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,546 in Mount Laurel, 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 $2,546 in Mount Laurel, NJ to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mount Laurel, NJ. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.