Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Saratoga Springs, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Saratoga Springs, NY: $2,866 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. The total is higher in Chicago, IL despite lower rent and utilities.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Saratoga Springs, NY
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Saratoga Springs, NY Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Saratoga Springs, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,866 in Saratoga Springs, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Saratoga Springs, NY $2,866

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,976 in Saratoga Springs, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Saratoga Springs, NY $3,976

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,086 in Saratoga Springs, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Saratoga Springs, NY $5,086

Chicago, IL costs about 6% more than Saratoga Springs, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Saratoga Springs, NY sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Saratoga Springs, NY by 111%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$17.94 $17.94

15.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$76.9 $76.9

16.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$7.91 $7.91

66.75%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.30 $5.30

6.79%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.59 $2.59

1.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.84 $1.84

23.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.55 $6.55

4.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.42 $7.42

19.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.87 $0.87

43.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.41 $3.41

9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.49 $4.49

20.04%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.10 $4.10

15.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.12 $11.12

24.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$13.34 $13.34

7.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.03 $18.03

1.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.21 $6.21

-15.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.42 $1.42

39.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.13 $5.13

-20.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$7.00 $7.00

-29.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.04 $3.04

-12.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.25 $3.25

-18.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.44 $2.44

-8.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.73 $2.73

14.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$12.93 $12.93

6.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.09 $15.09

-1.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.91 $2.91

-12.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.67 $4.67

-24.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.94 $3.94

-19.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.11 $2.11

-34.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$30.31 $30.31

-17.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.92 $0.92

30.43%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$30.2K $30.2K

16.04%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$24.6K $24.6K

8.28%

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

$194 $194

$235 $235

-17.13%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$51.9 $51.9

33.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$57.5 $57.5

7.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$59.6 $59.6

-19.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$19.93 $19.93

37.18%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.81 $14.81

20.26%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,400 $1,400

28.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$17.4K $17.4K

83.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$55.5 $55.5

20.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$47.95 $47.95

8.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$94.5 $94.5

7.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$102 $102

40.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,482 $2,482

1.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,548 $1,548

1.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,990 $2,990

58.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,179 $2,179

23.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,957 $4,957

-0.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.66

2.25%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Saratoga Springs, NY: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$1.5K 54% 1.9% $30

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$439 15.3% 2% $8.8

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$296 10.3% 14.1% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$344 12% 5.7% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$135 4.7% 17.7% $29

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$14 * 0.5% 84.5% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$89 3.1% 6.8% $5.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,482 in Saratoga Springs, NY. 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 $77 in Saratoga Springs, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $439 – making Saratoga Springs, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Saratoga Springs, NY

🕒 Local time

01:35 1:35 AM

02:35 2:35 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

28,491

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Saratoga Springs, NY 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,866 in Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Springs, NY comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,298 in Saratoga Springs, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $2,482 in Saratoga Springs, NY. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $1,794 per month in Chicago, IL and $1,400 in Saratoga Springs, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,866 in Saratoga Springs, NY. That makes Saratoga Springs, NY about 6% cheaper.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,866 in Saratoga Springs, 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 $2,866 in Saratoga Springs, NY to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.