Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and New Bern, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in New Bern, NC: $2,061 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 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
100

Cost of Living Index in New Bern, NC
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New Bern, NC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

New Bern, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,061

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in New Bern, NC

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 New Bern, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,061 in New Bern, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
New Bern, NC $2,061

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,317 in New Bern, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
New Bern, NC $3,317

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,573 in New Bern, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
New Bern, NC $4,573

Chicago, IL costs about 47% more than New Bern, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and New Bern, NC sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, New Bern, NC by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$18.15 $18.15

14.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$86.1 $86.1

3.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.90 $11.90

10.84%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.19 $5.19

9.06%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.93 $2.93

-9.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.40 $2.40

-5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.03 $6.03

13.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.20 $7.20

22.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.95 $0.95

31.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.31 $3.31

12.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.09 $5.09

5.89%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.41 $3.41

39.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$13.01 $13.01

6.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$10.69 $10.69

34.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$15.17 $15.17

21.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.25 $5.25

-0.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.30 $1.30

52.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.91 $2.91

39.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.53 $5.53

-10.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.82 $2.82

-5.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.85 $2.85

-6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.82 $1.82

23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.21 $2.21

41.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$7.37 $7.37

87.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.47 $12.47

19.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.87 $1.87

35.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.13 $2.13

64.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.40 $3.40

-6.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.30 $2.30

-39.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$32.86 $32.86

-23.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.81 $0.81

48.15%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.3K $28.3K

23.89%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$23.4K $23.4K

14.19%

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

$194 $194

$156 $156

24.73%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$71.7 $71.7

-3.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$67.7 $67.7

-8.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$55.6 $55.6

-13.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$11.18 $11.18

59.30%

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

$1,794 $1,794

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$60.5 $60.5

10.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$35.32 $35.32

47.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$83.9 $83.9

21.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$87.7 $87.7

63.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,153 $1,153

119.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$869 $869

81.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,198 $2,198

115.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,847 $1,847

45.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,056 $2,056

103.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,078 $2,078

33.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,658 $3,658

34.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.51

4.61%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for New Bern, NC: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

New Bern, NC

$869 42.2% 44.9% $709

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

New Bern, NC

$374 18.2% 16.3% $73

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

New Bern, NC

$309 15% 10.4% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

New Bern, NC

$295 14.3% 9.3% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

New Bern, NC

$120 5.8% 26.6% $44

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

New Bern, NC

$15 * 0.7% 84% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

New Bern, NC

$78 3.8% 6.7% $5.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,153 in New Bern, NC. 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 35% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $86 in New Bern, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $374 – making New Bern, NC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 New Bern, NC

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

19:07 7:07 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

31,291

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL New Bern, NC 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
New Bern, NC

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 New Bern, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,061 in New Bern, NC – New Bern, NC comes out roughly 32% 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 $3,091 in New Bern, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in New Bern, NC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,153 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $86 in New Bern, NC. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,061 in New Bern, NC. That makes New Bern, NC about 32% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in New Bern, NC, where all-in costs run around $2,061, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In New Bern, NC 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 $2,061 in New Bern, NC to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with New Bern, NC. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.