Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Woodbridge, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,438 in Woodbridge, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
167

Cost of Living Index in Woodbridge, NJ
Learn more

Woodbridge, NJ Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Woodbridge, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,438

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Woodbridge, NJ

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 Woodbridge, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,438 in Woodbridge, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Woodbridge, NJ $3,438

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,871 in Woodbridge, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Woodbridge, NJ $4,871

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,303 in Woodbridge, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Woodbridge, NJ $6,303

Chicago, IL is about 12% cheaper than Woodbridge, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Woodbridge, NJ sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Woodbridge, NJ by 153%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.30 $19.30

7.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$79.1 $79.1

12.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$13.08 $13.08

0.84%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.63 $5.63

0.53%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.46 $2.46

7.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.54 $1.54

48.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.78 $7.78

-11.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.18 $7.18

23.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.30 $1.30

-3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.26 $4.26

-12.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$7.54 $7.54

-28.51%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.91 $5.91

-19.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$14.12 $14.12

-1.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$11.95 $11.95

20.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.84 $19.84

-7.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.95 $5.95

-12.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.72 $1.72

15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$6.44 $6.44

-36.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.21 $6.21

-19.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$5.36 $5.36

-50.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.77 $3.77

-29.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.93 $2.93

-23.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.99 $2.99

4.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.88 $11.88

16.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$16.19 $16.19

-8.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.70 $1.70

49.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$5.51 $5.51

-36.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$121 $121

-39.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.95 $2.95

7.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.11 $2.11

-34.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$41.53 $41.53

-39.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.14 $1.14

5.26%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.9K $27.9K

25.50%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.42%

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

$194 $194

$171 $171

13.76%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$63.8 $63.8

8.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$65.2 $65.2

-5.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$35.58 $35.58

34.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$35.67 $35.67

-23.35%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$20.37 $20.37

-12.57%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,011 $2,011

-10.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$18.3K $18.3K

74.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$40.93 $40.93

63.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$39.96 $39.96

30.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$86.3 $86.3

17.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$154 $154

-6.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,175 $2,175

16.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,962 $1,962

-19.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,213 $3,213

47.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,977 $2,977

-9.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,204 $3,204

30.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$3,007 $3,007

-7.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,607 $4,607

7.02%

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 Woodbridge, NJ: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Woodbridge, NJ

$2K 57.1% 24.3% $384

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Woodbridge, NJ

$491 14.3% 9.8% $44

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Woodbridge, NJ

$331 9.6% 4.2% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Woodbridge, NJ

$300 8.7% 7.9% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Woodbridge, NJ

$145 4.2% 11.8% $19

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Woodbridge, NJ

$134 * 3.9% 43.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Woodbridge, NJ

$76 2.2% 8.6% $7.2

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 $2,175 in Woodbridge, NJ. 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 7% higher in Chicago, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $79 in Woodbridge, NJ. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $491 in Woodbridge, NJ – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Woodbridge, NJ

🕒 Local time

22:09 10:09 PM

23:09 11:09 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

19,265

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Woodbridge, NJ 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Woodbridge, NJ

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 Woodbridge, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $3,438 in Woodbridge, NJ – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 12% 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 $5,157 in Woodbridge, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Woodbridge, NJ, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,175 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Woodbridge, NJ, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $3,438 in Woodbridge, NJ. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chicago, IL costs $3,037 versus $3,438 in Woodbridge, NJ. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.