Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and New Castle, DE

For one person, living is cheaper in New Castle, DE: $2,608 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 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
126

Cost of Living Index in New Castle, DE
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New Castle, DE Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

New Castle, DE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in New Castle, DE

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 Castle, DE actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,608 in New Castle, DE, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
New Castle, DE $2,608

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,741 in New Castle, DE, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
New Castle, DE $3,741

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,873 in New Castle, DE, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
New Castle, DE $4,873

Chicago, IL costs about 20% more than New Castle, DE, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and New Castle, DE sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, New Castle, DE by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$17.86 $17.86

15.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$90.6 $90.6

-0.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$10.62 $10.62

21.85%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.39 $5.39

3.90%

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

$1.99 $1.99

14.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$7.19 $7.19

-2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.96 $7.96

10.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.11 $1.11

14.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.10 $4.10

-7.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.04 $4.04

31.19%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.94 $4.94

-3.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$13.05 $13.05

6.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$13.04 $13.04

12.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$18.16 $18.16

3.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$6.07 $6.07

-14.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.50 $1.50

32.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$5.79 $5.79

-32.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.84 $4.84

2.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.72 $2.72

1.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.90 $2.90

-4.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.45 $2.45

-9.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.25 $2.25

32.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$13.22 $13.22

6.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$15.69 $15.69

-2.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.64 $2.64

-2.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.83 $3.83

-8.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.73 $1.73

42.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.77 $1.77

88.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.39 $1.39

2.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$23.57 $23.57

3.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.07 $1.07

17.76%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$33.6K $33.6K

4.20%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.2K $26.2K

-0.55%

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

$193 $193

$215 $215

-10.52%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$66.6 $66.6

2.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$70.6 $70.6

-13.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$41.62 $41.62

30.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$14.72 $14.72

20.52%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,982 $1,982

-16.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$34.8K $34.8K

-10.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$51.8 $51.8

27.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$64.2 $64.2

-20.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$91.8 $91.8

9.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$110 $110

28.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,418 $1,418

72.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,278 $1,278

31.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,133 $2,133

121.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,881 $1,881

48.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,808 $2,808

46.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,311 $2,311

14.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.72

1.34%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for New Castle, DE: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

New Castle, DE

$1.3K 49% 23.8% $400

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

New Castle, DE

$437 16.7% 2.9% $13

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

New Castle, DE

$311 11.9% 9.3% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

New Castle, DE

$353 13.5% 9.4% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

New Castle, DE

$143 5.5% 11.4% $18

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

New Castle, DE

$16 * 0.6% 83.6% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

New Castle, DE

$71 2.7% 20.7% $19

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 $1,418 in New Castle, DE. 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 $91.0 in New Castle, DE. Groceries tell a different story – $449 in Chicago, IL vs $437 in New Castle, DE – so New Castle, DE wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 New Castle, DE

🕒 Local time

21:14 9:14 PM

22:14 10:14 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

21,926

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL New Castle, DE 1,040 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
New Castle, DE

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 Castle, DE: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,608 in New Castle, DE – roughly 20% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,913 in New Castle, DE. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in New Castle, DE, 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 $91.0 in New Castle, DE. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,608 in New Castle, DE. 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 $2,608 in New Castle, DE to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with New Castle, DE. 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.