Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Plattsburgh, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Plattsburgh, NY: $2,188 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Plattsburgh, NY
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Plattsburgh, NY Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Plattsburgh, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,188

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,188 in Plattsburgh, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Plattsburgh, NY $2,188

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,565 in Plattsburgh, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Plattsburgh, NY $3,565

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,943 in Plattsburgh, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Plattsburgh, NY $4,943

Chicago, IL costs about 39% more than Plattsburgh, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Plattsburgh, NY sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Plattsburgh, NY by 61%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$27.21 $27.21

-23.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$101 $101

-11.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$14.77 $14.77

-10.70%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.60 $6.60

-14.24%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.57 $2.57

2.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.02 $2.02

12.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.01 $6.01

14.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$10.60 $10.60

-16.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.01 $1.01

23.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.34 $3.34

11.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$7.20 $7.20

-25.14%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.98 $3.98

19.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.72 $12.72

8.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$12.40 $12.40

16.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$14.89 $14.89

23.44%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.97 $4.97

5.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.26 $1.26

57.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.38 $5.38

-24.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.58 $4.58

8.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.19 $3.19

-16.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.20 $3.20

-16.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.59 $1.59

40.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.97 $1.97

58.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$12.06 $12.06

14.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.13 $14.13

5.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.06 $2.06

23.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.98 $1.98

77.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.04 $2.04

19.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$98.2 $98.2

-25.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.53 $4.53

-29.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.73 $0.73

90.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$17.81 $17.81

40.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.12 $1.12

7.14%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.8K $27.8K

25.98%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.66%

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

$194 $194

$207 $207

-6.18%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$70.2 $70.2

-1.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$87.7 $87.7

-29.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$39.29 $39.29

21.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.22 $12.22

45.74%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,520 $1,520

18.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$7,308 $7,308

337.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$42.74 $42.74

56.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$32.25 $32.25

61.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$74.0 $74.0

37.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$101 $101

42.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$883 $883

186.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$723 $723

118.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,004 $2,004

136.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,643 $1,643

63.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$1,627 $1,627

157.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,623 $1,623

70.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,348 $3,348

47.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

5.5

23.82%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Plattsburgh, NY: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Plattsburgh, NY

$723 33% 54.2% $855

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Plattsburgh, NY

$398 18.2% 10.9% $49

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Plattsburgh, NY

$411 18.8% 19.1% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Plattsburgh, NY

$365 16.7% 12.2% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Plattsburgh, NY

$112 5.1% 31.5% $52

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Plattsburgh, NY

$115 5.2% 22.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Plattsburgh, NY

$64 2.9% 23.7% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $883 in Plattsburgh, 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 47% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $101 in Plattsburgh, NY. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $398 in Plattsburgh, NY – so Plattsburgh, NY wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Plattsburgh, NY

🕒 Local time

10:14 10:14 AM

11:14 11:14 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

19,841

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Plattsburgh, NY 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,188 in Plattsburgh, NY – Plattsburgh, NY comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,281 in Plattsburgh, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Plattsburgh, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $883 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $101 in Plattsburgh, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Plattsburgh, NY, where all-in costs run around $2,188, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Plattsburgh, NY it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Plattsburgh, NY – 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 Plattsburgh, NY. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.