Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ: $2,629 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ
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Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,629

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Parsippany-Troy Hills, 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 Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,629 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ $2,629

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,942 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ $3,942

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,256 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ $5,256

Chicago, IL costs about 19% more than Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$15.15 $15.15

36.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$69.4 $69.4

29.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.78 $11.78

9.85%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.60 $4.60

21.74%

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

$1.46 $1.46

55.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$7.65 $7.65

-8.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.17 $7.17

23.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.12 $1.12

13.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.32 $4.32

-12.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.62 $2.62

102.29%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.45 $3.45

37.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$13.16 $13.16

6.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$6.58 $6.58

122.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$14.45 $14.45

29.90%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$2.59 $2.59

100.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.18 $1.18

67.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.57 $2.57

52.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.83 $2.83

75.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.22 $2.22

24.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.19 $2.19

26.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.98 $0.98

126.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$0.52 $0.52

473.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$11.16 $11.16

25.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.85 $14.85

2.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.77 $1.77

45.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.02 $2.02

73.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.90 $3.90

-36.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

$70.8 $70.8

5.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.02 $2.02

65.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.20 $2.20

-35.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$42.11 $42.11

-42.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.94 $0.94

34.04%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.7K $27.7K

26.41%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.4K $25.4K

2.72%

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

$193 $193

$175 $175

10.43%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$44.70 $44.70

52.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$39.42 $39.42

55.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$24.62 $24.62

119.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$12.06 $12.06

47.10%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,972 $1,972

-16.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$15.8K $15.8K

96.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$32.13 $32.13

105.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$47.76 $47.76

7.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$87.8 $87.8

13.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$134 $134

4.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,841 $1,841

32.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,503 $1,503

11.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$3,358 $3,358

40.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,749 $2,749

1.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,975 $2,975

38.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,448 $2,448

8.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$7,257 $7,257

-32.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.35

7.24%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

$1.5K 57.2% 10.4% $175

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

$303 11.5% 32.7% $147

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

$280 10.7% 18.4% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

$259 9.8% 19.7% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

$136 5.2% 15.7% $25

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

$99 3.8% 4.6% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

$49 1.9% 45.6% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,841 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ. 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 49% higher in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $69.0 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $303 – making Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

🕒 Local time

05:22 5:22 AM

06:22 6:22 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

53,238

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Parsippany-Troy Hills, 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 Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,629 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,943 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 49% 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $69.0 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,629 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ. 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 $2,629 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ 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 Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ. 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.