Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Clifton, NJ: $2,771 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Clifton, NJ
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Clifton, NJ Living Index
152

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

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Clifton, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,771

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Clifton, NJ and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,771 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Clifton, NJ $2,771
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,035 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Clifton, NJ $4,035
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,299 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Clifton, NJ $5,299
Chicago, IL $6,115

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

Both Clifton, NJ and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Clifton, NJ by 105%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.14 $22.14

$20.65 $20.65

7.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 $78.7

$90.2 $90.2

-12.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.83 $12.83

$12.94 $12.94

-0.85%

Cappuccino

$6.41 $6.41

$5.60 $5.60

14.46%

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

$2.44 $2.44

$2.64 $2.64

-7.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.27 $2.27

-21.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 $7.91

$6.98 $6.98

13.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 $7.05

$8.83 $8.83

-20.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.27 $1.27

4.72%

White Bread (500g)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.80 $3.80

21.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$5.30 $5.30

14.91%

Eggs

$5.80 $5.80

$4.76 $4.76

21.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.90 $13.90

$13.96 $13.96

-0.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.09 $10.09

$14.61 $14.61

-30.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.68 $18.68

$18.77 $18.77

-0.48%

Apples (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$5.19 $5.19

14.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.98 $1.98

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$3.93 $3.93

58.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$4.96 $4.96

6.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.76 $2.76

27.54%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.76 $2.76

57.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.22 $2.22

40.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.98 $2.98

-11.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.06 $15.06

$14.02 $14.02

7.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.21 $15.21

$15.28 $15.28

-0.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.58 $2.58

-30.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$3.50 $3.50

3.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.47 $2.47

74.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.34 $3.34

-11.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.43 $1.43

53.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.36 $42.36

$24.32 $24.32

74.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.26 $1.26

-10.32%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$35.0K $35.0K

-5.50%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

-1.94%

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

$219 $219

$193 $193

13.76%

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

$50.7 $50.7

$68.3 $68.3

-25.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.5 $66.5

$61.3 $61.3

8.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.05 $29.05

$54.1 $54.1

-46.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$20.63 $20.63

$17.74 $17.74

16.29%

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

$1,967 $1,967

$1,652 $1,652

19.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$31.1K $31.1K

-47.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.73 $31.73

$66.1 $66.1

-51.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.32 $20.32

$51.2 $51.2

-60.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$100 $100

9.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$141 $141

-2.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$2,446 $2,446

-44.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,376 $1,376

$1,678 $1,678

-17.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,860 $2,860

$4,717 $4,717

-39.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,215 $2,215

$2,795 $2,795

-20.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,457 $8,457

$4,105 $4,105

106.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,324 $4,324

$4,866 $4,866

-11.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.81

-0.15%

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

Last update for Clifton, NJ: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Clifton, NJ

$1.4K 49.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 21.9% $302

Groceries & Markets

Clifton, NJ

$460 16.6%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 2.3% $10

Eating Out

Clifton, NJ

$363 13.1%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 5.4% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Clifton, NJ

$336 12.1%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 4.2% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Clifton, NJ

$135 4.9%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 19.9% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Clifton, NJ

$70 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 27.4% $19

Getting Around

Clifton, NJ

$31 * 1.1%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 206% $64

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,348 in Clifton, NJ versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. 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 13% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Clifton, NJ versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $460 in Clifton, NJ vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Clifton, NJ

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

15:20 3:20 PM

14:20 2:20 PM

1 h behind Clifton, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,606

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Clifton, NJ Chicago, IL 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Clifton, NJ
Chicago, IL

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

Clifton, NJ vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,771 in Clifton, NJ, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 13% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,157 per month in Clifton, NJ and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Clifton, NJ, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Clifton, NJ and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,771 in Clifton, NJ and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. 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 $2,771 in Clifton, NJ to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Clifton, NJ. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.