Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Old Bridge

For one person, living is cheaper in Old Bridge: $2,472 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
119

Cost of Living Index in Old Bridge
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Old Bridge Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Old Bridge

🇺🇸 United States

$2,472

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Old Bridge

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 Old Bridge actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,472 in Old Bridge, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Old Bridge $2,472

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,499 in Old Bridge, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Old Bridge $3,499

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,525 in Old Bridge, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Old Bridge $4,525

Chicago, IL costs about 27% more than Old Bridge, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Old Bridge sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Old Bridge by 82%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$16.78 $16.78

23.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$65.1 $65.1

38.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$8.07 $8.07

60.35%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$3.06 $3.06

83.01%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.57 $2.57

2.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.47 $1.47

54.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$3.07 $3.07

127.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$3.40 $3.40

159.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.32 $1.32

-3.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.39 $4.39

-13.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$6.03 $6.03

-12.11%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$6.89 $6.89

-30.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$14.05 $14.05

-0.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$10.20 $10.20

43.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$20.13 $20.13

-6.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.91 $5.91

-12.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.48 $3.48

-43.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.26 $4.26

-7.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.39 $5.39

-7.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.13 $3.13

-11.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.99 $2.99

-7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.12 $3.12

-28.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.09 $3.09

-3.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$14.69 $14.69

-4.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$15.27 $15.27

0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.80 $1.80

43.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.64 $3.64

-3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.21 $2.21

11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.09 $3.09

8.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.14 $2.14

-33.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$41.45 $41.45

-41.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.09 $1.09

15.60%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.4K $27.4K

27.93%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.0K $26.0K

0.17%

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

$193 $193

$173 $173

11.47%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$29.47 $29.47

131.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$45.88 $45.88

33.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$45.34 $45.34

19.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$20.15 $20.15

-11.96%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,996 $1,996

-17.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$16.3K $16.3K

90.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$31.93 $31.93

106.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$41.58 $41.58

23.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$71.2 $71.2

40.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$101 $101

39.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,500 $1,500

63.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,303 $1,303

28.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,785 $2,785

69.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,897 $1,897

47.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,812 $2,812

45.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,446 $2,446

8.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$3,024 $3,024

60.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.8

0.15%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Old Bridge: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Old Bridge

$1.3K 52.7% 22.3% $374

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Old Bridge

$468 18.9% 4.2% $19

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Old Bridge

$234 9.5% 32% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Old Bridge

$248 10% 23% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Old Bridge

$111 4.5% 31.4% $51

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Old Bridge

$23 * 0.9% 76.2% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Old Bridge

$86 3.5% 4.4% $4

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 $1,500 in Old Bridge. 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 61% 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $65.0 in Old Bridge. Groceries tell a different story – $449 in Chicago, IL vs $468 in Old Bridge – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Old Bridge

🕒 Local time

22:39 10:39 PM

23:39 11:39 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

23,753

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Old Bridge 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Old Bridge

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 Old Bridge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,472 in Old Bridge – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,709 in Old Bridge. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Old Bridge, 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 $65.0 in Old Bridge. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Old Bridge, where all-in costs run around $2,472, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Old Bridge 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 $2,472 in Old Bridge 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 Old Bridge. 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.