Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Schenectady, NY: $2,516 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
121

Cost of Living Index in Schenectady, NY
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Schenectady, NY Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Schenectady, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,516

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,516 in Schenectady, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Schenectady, NY $2,516

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,503 in Schenectady, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Schenectady, NY $3,503

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,491 in Schenectady, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Schenectady, NY $4,491

Chicago, IL costs about 21% more than Schenectady, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Schenectady, NY sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Schenectady, NY by 85%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.79 $19.79

4.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$74.4 $74.4

19.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$13.04 $13.04

1.15%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.32 $5.32

6.39%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.68 $2.68

-1.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.14 $2.14

6.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.97 $5.97

15.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.93 $8.93

-1.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.06 $1.06

17.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.36 $4.36

-14.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.49 $4.49

20.04%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.13 $5.13

-7.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$6.55 $6.55

111.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$15.20 $15.20

-5.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.49 $18.49

-0.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.95 $4.95

5.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.88 $0.88

125.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.37 $5.37

-24.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.76 $4.76

4.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.28 $3.28

-18.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.08 $1.08

146.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.23 $2.23

0.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.98 $1.98

58.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$13.43 $13.43

2.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.90 $13.90

7.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.92 $1.92

32.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.83 $2.83

24.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.51 $1.51

60.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$55.1 $55.1

33.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.95 $4.95

-35.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.41 $1.41

-1.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$29.84 $29.84

-16.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.04 $1.04

15.38%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.4K $27.4K

27.80%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.15%

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

$194 $194

$212 $212

-8.22%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$71.0 $71.0

-2.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$88.4 $88.4

-30.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$70.6 $70.6

-32.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.40 $12.40

43.63%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,497 $1,497

19.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$16.8K $16.8K

89.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$39.80 $39.80

68.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$40.47 $40.47

28.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$113 $113

-9.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$107 $107

34.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,296 $1,296

94.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,106 $1,106

42.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,194 $2,194

116.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,440 $1,440

86.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,585 $2,585

62.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,610 $2,610

6.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,782 $3,782

30.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.51

4.61%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Schenectady, NY: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Schenectady, NY

$1.1K 44% 29.9% $472

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Schenectady, NY

$407 16.2% 9.1% $41

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Schenectady, NY

$328 13.1% 4.8% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Schenectady, NY

$371 14.8% 14% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Schenectady, NY

$135 5.4% 17.8% $29

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Schenectady, NY

$73 2.9% 21.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Schenectady, NY

$95 3.8% 14.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,296 in Schenectady, 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 30% 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 $74 in Schenectady, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $407 – making Schenectady, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Schenectady, NY

🕒 Local time

17:07 5:07 PM

18:07 6:07 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

67,047

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,516 in Schenectady, NY – Schenectady, NY comes out roughly 17% 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 $3,774 in Schenectady, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Schenectady, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,296 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 10% 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 Schenectady, 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 $2,516 in Schenectady, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Schenectady, 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 Schenectady, 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.