Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Ridgewood, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Ridgewood, NJ: $2,684 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Ridgewood, NJ
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Ridgewood, NJ Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Ridgewood, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,684 in Ridgewood, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Ridgewood, NJ $2,684

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,918 in Ridgewood, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Ridgewood, NJ $3,918

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,153 in Ridgewood, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Ridgewood, NJ $5,153

Chicago, IL costs about 13% more than Ridgewood, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Ridgewood, NJ sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Ridgewood, NJ by 97%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$18.25 $18.25

13.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$73.9 $73.9

20.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.16 $12.16

8.47%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.27 $5.27

7.40%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.51 $2.51

5.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.99 $1.99

14.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.93 $6.93

-0.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.86 $7.86

12.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.66 $1.66

-24.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.66 $3.66

1.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.47 $4.47

20.58%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.48 $3.48

36.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$15.60 $15.60

-11.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$7.74 $7.74

86.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$10.93 $10.93

68.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.41 $5.41

-3.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.72 $1.72

15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.49 $4.49

-9.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.03 $6.03

-17.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.13 $4.13

-35.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$4.38 $4.38

-39.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.63 $2.63

-14.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.57 $2.57

21.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$12.19 $12.19

13.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.84 $14.84

0.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.65 $2.65

-4.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.38 $3.38

3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.13 $2.13

14.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$60.7 $60.7

21.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.02 $3.02

5.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.23 $1.23

13.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$41.33 $41.33

-39.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.03 $1.03

16.50%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$29.9K $29.9K

17.03%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.60%

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

$194 $194

$248 $248

-21.48%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$60.2 $60.2

15.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$62.0 $62.0

-0.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$40.12 $40.12

19.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$39.39 $39.39

-30.59%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$18.77 $18.77

-5.11%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$3,036 $3,036

-40.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$33.7K $33.7K

-5.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$67.4 $67.4

-0.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$56.0 $56.0

-6.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$83.6 $83.6

21.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$113 $113

26.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,589 $1,589

59.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,298 $1,298

21.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,559 $2,559

85.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,140 $2,140

25.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,701 $2,701

55.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,327 $2,327

18.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.67

2.10%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ridgewood, NJ: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Ridgewood, NJ

$1.3K 48.4% 17.7% $280

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Ridgewood, NJ

$401 14.9% 10.4% $46

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Ridgewood, NJ

$314 11.7% 8.9% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Ridgewood, NJ

$370 13.8% 13.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Ridgewood, NJ

$144 5.4% 12.1% $20

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Ridgewood, NJ

$78 2.9% 16.1% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Ridgewood, NJ

$78 2.9% 7% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,589 in Ridgewood, 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 $74 in Ridgewood, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $401 – making Ridgewood, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Ridgewood, NJ

🕒 Local time

20:23 8:23 PM

21:23 9:23 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

25,272

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Ridgewood, NJ 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,684 in Ridgewood, NJ – Ridgewood, NJ comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,025 in Ridgewood, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ridgewood, NJ, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,589 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 $74 in Ridgewood, NJ. 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 Ridgewood, NJ, where all-in costs run around $2,684, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Ridgewood, NJ 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 $2,684 in Ridgewood, NJ to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Ridgewood, NJ is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 12% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.