Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Uniondale, NY: $2,547 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Uniondale, NY
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Uniondale, NY Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Uniondale, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,547

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,547 in Uniondale, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Uniondale, NY $2,547

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,730 in Uniondale, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Uniondale, NY $3,730

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,913 in Uniondale, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Uniondale, NY $4,913

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

Both Chicago, IL and Uniondale, NY sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Uniondale, NY by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$18.74 $18.74

8.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$78.8 $78.8

12.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$12.05 $12.05

6.64%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.43 $5.43

6.45%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.27 $2.27

20.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.58 $1.58

43.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$8.06 $8.06

-14.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$7.09 $7.09

30.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.20 $4.20

-15.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$6.11 $6.11

-11.95%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$6.00 $6.00

-24.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$12.35 $12.35

10.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$10.25 $10.25

37.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$17.18 $17.18

5.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.36 $5.36

-3.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.70 $1.70

16.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.36 $4.36

-11.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$5.26 $5.26

-8.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.09 $3.09

-9.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.10 $3.10

-13.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.93 $2.93

-29.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.81 $2.81

7.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$11.74 $11.74

18.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.70 $14.70

2.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.77 $1.77

48.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.53 $3.53

-2.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.01 $2.01

20.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$55.7 $55.7

35.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.02 $3.02

4.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.11 $2.11

-19.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$23.82 $23.82

4.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.17 $1.17

9.40%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.6K $27.6K

29.56%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.5K $25.5K

5.05%

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

$192 $192

$171 $171

12.59%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$50.4 $50.4

38.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$50.4 $50.4

23.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$37.82 $37.82

26.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$14.71 $14.71

21.21%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,721 $1,721

5.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$20.2K $20.2K

101.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$41.44 $41.44

59.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$57.6 $57.6

-10.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$75.9 $75.9

36.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$101 $101

40.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,489 $1,489

69.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,256 $1,256

29.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,479 $2,479

94.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,000 $2,000

36.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$3,060 $3,060

36.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,009 $2,009

35.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.72

0.89%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Uniondale, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Uniondale, NY

$1.3K 49.3% 22.6% $366

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Uniondale, NY

$430 16.9% 2.1% $9.4

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Uniondale, NY

$321 12.6% 6.6% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Uniondale, NY

$271 10.7% 16.2% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Uniondale, NY

$124 4.9% 24% $39

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Uniondale, NY

$77 3% 20% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Uniondale, NY

$67 2.6% 19.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,489 in Uniondale, 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 $79 in Uniondale, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $430 – making Uniondale, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Uniondale, NY

🕒 Local time

01:26 1:26 AM

02:26 2:26 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

32,473

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Uniondale, NY 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,547 in Uniondale, NY – Uniondale, NY comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,820 in Uniondale, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Uniondale, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,489 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $79 in Uniondale, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 26% less in Uniondale, NY. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,547 in Uniondale, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Uniondale, NY – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.