Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and New City, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $4,571 in New City, NY, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in New City, NY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
220

Cost of Living Index in New City, NY
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New City, NY Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

New City, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,571

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,571 in New City, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
New City, NY $4,571

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,346 in New City, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
New City, NY $6,346

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $8,121 in New City, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
New City, NY $8,121

Chicago, IL is about 34% cheaper than New City, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and New City, NY sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, New City, NY by 236%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$13.79 $13.79

50.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$85.8 $85.8

4.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.06 $11.06

19.26%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.54 $5.54

2.17%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.13 $2.13

23.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.54 $1.54

48.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$8.19 $8.19

-16.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.09 $8.09

9.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.22 $1.22

2.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.31 $4.31

-13.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$6.63 $6.63

-18.70%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.89 $5.89

-19.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.41 $12.41

11.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$11.85 $11.85

21.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.51 $17.51

4.97%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.38 $5.38

-2.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.31 $1.31

51.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$6.50 $6.50

-37.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.01 $6.01

-17.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$5.63 $5.63

-52.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.75 $3.75

-29.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.32 $2.32

-3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.14 $1.14

174.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.87 $11.87

16.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$10.05 $10.05

48.06%

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

$5.56 $5.56

-36.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.96 $2.96

-17.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$124 $124

-40.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.05 $3.05

4.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.02 $2.02

-31.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$23.74 $23.74

5.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.06 $1.06

13.21%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.9K $27.9K

25.56%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.12%

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

$194 $194

$197 $197

-1.51%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$75.5 $75.5

-7.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$64.4 $64.4

-4.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.30 $14.30

24.55%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,027 $2,027

-11.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$23.3K $23.3K

37.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$40.78 $40.78

64.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$56.5 $56.5

-7.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$68.9 $68.9

47.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$148 $148

-3.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$3,098 $3,098

-18.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$3,201 $3,201

-50.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$5,649 $5,649

-16.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$5,040 $5,040

-46.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$8,097 $8,097

-39.10%

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 25, 2026

Last update for New City, NY: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

New City, NY

$3.2K 70% 103% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

New City, NY

$433 9.5% 3.3% $15

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

New City, NY

$282 6.2% 18.3% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

New City, NY

$337 7.4% 3.6% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

New City, NY

$141 3.1% 13.7% $23

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

New City, NY

$149 3.3% 59.1% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

New City, NY

$29 * 0.6% 65.8% $55

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 $3,098 in New City, NY. 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 64% higher in New City, NY. 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 City, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $433 – making New City, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 New City, NY

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

16:50 4:50 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

34,135

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL New City, NY 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $4,571 in New City, NY – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 34% 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 $6,857 in New City, 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 $3,098 in New City, NY.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in New City, NY – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $86 in New City, 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 $4,571 in New City, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Chicago, IL – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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