Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Poughkeepsie, NY: $2,987 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Chicago, IL despite lower rent and utilities.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
143

Cost of Living Index in Poughkeepsie, NY
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Poughkeepsie, NY Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Poughkeepsie, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,987

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,987 in Poughkeepsie, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Poughkeepsie, NY $2,987

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,168 in Poughkeepsie, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Poughkeepsie, NY $4,168

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,350 in Poughkeepsie, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Poughkeepsie, NY $5,350

Chicago, IL costs about 3% more than Poughkeepsie, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Poughkeepsie, NY sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Poughkeepsie, NY by 121%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$23.44 $23.44

-13.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$98.5 $98.5

-10.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$12.32 $12.32

4.30%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$4.53 $4.53

27.59%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.02 $2.02

35.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.29 $1.29

75.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$5.87 $5.87

17.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$8.07 $8.07

14.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.05 $1.05

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.35 $3.35

5.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$7.22 $7.22

-25.48%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$5.14 $5.14

-11.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$13.36 $13.36

2.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$15.94 $15.94

-11.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$17.30 $17.30

4.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.79 $4.79

7.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.02 $1.02

94.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$5.64 $5.64

-31.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.71 $4.71

2.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.15 $3.15

-10.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.74 $3.74

-28.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.06 $2.06

0.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.98 $1.98

53.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$14.51 $14.51

-4.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$10.18 $10.18

47.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.97 $1.97

33.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.86 $3.86

-10.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.96 $2.96

-17.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$5.09 $5.09

-37.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.35 $1.35

25.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$30.02 $30.02

-17.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.90 $0.90

42.22%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.2K $27.2K

31.65%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.5K $26.5K

1.18%

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

$192 $192

$207 $207

-7.42%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$71.3 $71.3

-2.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$68.3 $68.3

-8.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$19.81 $19.81

141.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

$40.41 $40.41

-32.94%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$14.98 $14.98

19.03%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,486 $1,486

22.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$16.8K $16.8K

142.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$53.8 $53.8

23.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$39.51 $39.51

30.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$113 $113

-8.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$107 $107

33.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,719 $1,719

47.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,660 $1,660

-2.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$1,948 $1,948

147.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,250 $2,250

21.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$1,570 $1,570

165.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,296 $2,296

18.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$4,397 $4,397

11.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.66

1.80%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Poughkeepsie, NY: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Poughkeepsie, NY

$1.7K 55.6% 2.4% $39

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Poughkeepsie, NY

$428 14.3% 2.5% $11

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Poughkeepsie, NY

$338 11.3% 1.9% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Poughkeepsie, NY

$347 11.6% 7.2% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Poughkeepsie, NY

$141 4.7% 13.8% $23

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Poughkeepsie, NY

$24 * 0.8% 75.5% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Poughkeepsie, NY

$50 1.7% 40.4% $34

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,719 in Poughkeepsie, 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 12% 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 $98 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Groceries tell a different story – $439 in Chicago, IL vs $428 in Poughkeepsie, NY – so Poughkeepsie, NY wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Poughkeepsie, NY

🕒 Local time

23:25 11:25 PM

00:25 12:25 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

31,577

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Poughkeepsie, NY 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,987 in Poughkeepsie, NY – Poughkeepsie, NY comes out roughly 3% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,481 in Poughkeepsie, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Poughkeepsie, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,719 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $98 in Poughkeepsie, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,987 in Poughkeepsie, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Poughkeepsie, 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 Poughkeepsie, 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.