Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Rochester, NY: $2,362 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 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
114

Cost of Living Index in Rochester, NY
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Rochester, NY Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Rochester, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,362 in Rochester, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Rochester, NY $2,362

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,377 in Rochester, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Rochester, NY $3,377

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,392 in Rochester, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Rochester, NY $4,392

Chicago, IL costs about 29% more than Rochester, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Rochester, NY sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Rochester, NY by 74%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$22.23 $22.23

-6.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$75.0 $75.0

19.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.99 $9.99

32.03%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.56 $5.56

1.80%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.79 $2.79

-5.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.44 $2.44

-6.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.52 $4.52

51.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.09 $6.09

45.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.76 $0.76

64.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.41 $3.41

9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.54 $5.54

-2.71%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.90 $3.90

21.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$10.65 $10.65

29.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$7.86 $7.86

83.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$15.28 $15.28

20.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.73 $3.73

39.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.18 $1.18

67.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.65 $5.65

-28.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.91 $4.91

1.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.61 $3.61

-26.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$4.29 $4.29

-38.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.15 $2.15

4.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.17 $2.17

44.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$14.78 $14.78

-6.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$10.05 $10.05

48.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.41 $2.41

5.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.63 $3.63

-3.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.02 $1.02

138.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$56.9 $56.9

29.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.56 $2.56

24.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.88 $1.88

-26.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$21.29 $21.29

17.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.05 $1.05

14.29%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.0K $28.0K

25.32%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.58%

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

$194 $194

$143 $143

35.83%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$53.3 $53.3

30.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$71.7 $71.7

-14.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$31.42 $31.42

52.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$44.54 $44.54

-38.62%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.59 $12.59

41.46%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,361 $1,361

31.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$28.6K $28.6K

11.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$41.39 $41.39

61.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$32.73 $32.73

59.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$85.0 $85.0

19.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$87.1 $87.1

65.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,469 $1,469

72.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,160 $1,160

36.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,255 $2,255

110.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,637 $1,637

64.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$1,593 $1,593

162.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,453 $1,453

90.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,950 $3,950

24.83%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Rochester, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Rochester, NY

$1.2K 49.1% 26.5% $418

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Rochester, NY

$363 15.4% 18.9% $84

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Rochester, NY

$330 14% 4.3% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Rochester, NY

$268 11.4% 17.6% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Rochester, NY

$111 4.7% 32.4% $53

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Rochester, NY

$73 3.1% 21.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Rochester, NY

$57 2.4% 32.2% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,469 in Rochester, 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 25% 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 $89 in Chicago, IL versus $75 in Rochester, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $363 – making Rochester, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Rochester, NY

🕒 Local time

18:55 6:55 PM

19:55 7:55 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

211,328

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Rochester, NY 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,362 in Rochester, NY – Rochester, NY comes out roughly 22% 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 $3,543 in Rochester, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rochester, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,469 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $75 in Rochester, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,362 in Rochester, NY. 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 $2,362 in Rochester, NY to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Rochester, 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.