Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and North Brunswick, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in North Brunswick, NJ: $2,453 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in North Brunswick, NJ
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North Brunswick, NJ Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

North Brunswick, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,453

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,453 in North Brunswick, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
North Brunswick, NJ $2,453

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,704 in North Brunswick, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
North Brunswick, NJ $3,704

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,955 in North Brunswick, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
North Brunswick, NJ $4,955

Chicago, IL costs about 25% more than North Brunswick, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and North Brunswick, NJ sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, North Brunswick, NJ by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$20.22 $20.22

0.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$61.1 $61.1

45.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$11.90 $11.90

7.98%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$3.03 $3.03

90.76%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.62 $2.62

4.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.18 $1.18

91.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$6.69 $6.69

2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$6.04 $6.04

52.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.10 $1.10

14.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.60 $1.60

121.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$5.70 $5.70

-5.61%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$4.77 $4.77

-4.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$13.22 $13.22

3.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$16.61 $16.61

-15.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$16.33 $16.33

10.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$3.85 $3.85

34.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.90 $1.90

4.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.25 $4.25

-8.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$6.15 $6.15

-21.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.26 $3.26

-13.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.29 $3.29

-18.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.34 $2.34

-11.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.01 $2.01

50.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$15.00 $15.00

-7.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$17.93 $17.93

-16.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.62 $2.62

0.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$4.09 $4.09

-15.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.94 $1.94

25.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$53.6 $53.6

40.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.07 $3.07

3.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.16 $2.16

-21.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$42.72 $42.72

-41.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.08 $1.08

18.52%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.9K $27.9K

28.41%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.42%

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

$192 $192

$128 $128

50.55%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$47.11 $47.11

47.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$57.6 $57.6

7.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$38.45 $38.45

24.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$13.03 $13.03

36.84%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$2,704 $2,704

-32.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$15.3K $15.3K

165.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$54.2 $54.2

22.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$50.9 $50.9

1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$120 $120

-14.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$134 $134

6.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,555 $1,555

62.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,199 $1,199

35.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,490 $2,490

93.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,160 $2,160

26.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$3,084 $3,084

34.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,485 $2,485

9.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

7.01

-3.28%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for North Brunswick, NJ: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

North Brunswick, NJ

$1.2K 48.9% 26% $422

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

North Brunswick, NJ

$426 17.4% 3% $13

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

North Brunswick, NJ

$295 12% 14.4% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

North Brunswick, NJ

$232 9.5% 28.3% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

North Brunswick, NJ

$162 6.6% 1.1% $1.9

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

North Brunswick, NJ

$75 3.1% 22.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

North Brunswick, NJ

$65 2.6% 22.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,555 in North Brunswick, 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 $89 in Chicago, IL versus $61 in North Brunswick, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $426 – making North Brunswick, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 North Brunswick, NJ

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

23:22 11:22 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

43,905

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL North Brunswick, NJ 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
North Brunswick, 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 North Brunswick, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,453 in North Brunswick, NJ – North Brunswick, NJ comes out roughly 20% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,680 in North Brunswick, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in North Brunswick, NJ, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,555 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $61 in North Brunswick, NJ. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,453 in North Brunswick, NJ to $3,072 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, North Brunswick, NJ is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 20% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.