Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Chicago, IL and in Southampton, NY: $3,037 and $2,919 a month, rent and utilities included.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Southampton, NY
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Southampton, NY Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Southampton, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,919

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,919 in Southampton, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Southampton, NY $2,919

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,134 in Southampton, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Southampton, NY $4,134

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,349 in Southampton, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Southampton, NY $5,349

Chicago, IL costs about 4% more than Southampton, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Southampton, NY sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Southampton, NY by 114%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$24.92 $24.92

-16.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$101 $101

-11.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.22 $11.22

17.56%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.41 $5.41

4.62%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.12 $2.12

24.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.53 $1.53

49.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$8.10 $8.10

-15.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.77 $7.77

13.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.27 $1.27

-1.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.33 $4.33

-14.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$7.55 $7.55

-28.61%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.90 $5.90

-19.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.50 $12.50

10.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$11.75 $11.75

22.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.37 $17.37

5.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.48 $5.48

-4.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.78 $1.78

11.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$6.18 $6.18

-34.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.11 $6.11

-18.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$5.59 $5.59

-52.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.86 $3.86

-31.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.79 $2.79

-19.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.81 $2.81

11.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.47 $11.47

20.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$24.03 $24.03

-38.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.71 $1.71

48.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$5.38 $5.38

-34.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.71 $1.71

42.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$51.0 $51.0

44.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.94 $2.94

8.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.99 $1.99

-30.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$23.61 $23.61

6.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.07 $1.07

12.15%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.7K $27.7K

26.58%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.52%

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

$194 $194

$211 $211

-8.01%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$75.6 $75.6

-8.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$58.9 $58.9

4.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$40.20 $40.20

19.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.31 $14.31

24.46%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,495 $2,495

-28.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$23.4K $23.4K

36.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$40.84 $40.84

64.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$56.4 $56.4

-7.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$76.2 $76.2

33.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$157 $157

-8.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,587 $1,587

59.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,428 $1,428

10.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,476 $2,476

91.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,954 $1,954

37.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,828 $2,828

48.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,385 $2,385

16.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.75

0.89%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Southampton, NY: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Southampton, NY

$1.4K 48.9% 9.5% $151

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Southampton, NY

$488 16.7% 9.2% $41

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Southampton, NY

$369 12.6% 6.9% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Southampton, NY

$346 11.9% 6.2% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Southampton, NY

$149 5.1% 9.2% $15

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Southampton, NY

$71 2.4% 24.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Southampton, NY

$69 2.4% 17.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,587 in Southampton, 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 $101 in Southampton, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $488 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Southampton, NY

🕒 Local time

13:06 1:06 PM

14:06 2:06 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

69,036

💱 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 Southampton, NY 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,919 in Southampton, NY – roughly 4% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,378 in Southampton, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Southampton, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,587 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $101 in Southampton, 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 $2,919 in Southampton, 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 $2,919 in Southampton, NY to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.