Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,139 a month against $3,314 in Cranford, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cranford, NJ outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

159

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

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

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Cranford, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,314

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,314 per month in Cranford, NJ vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Cranford, NJ $3,314
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,719 per month in Cranford, NJ vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Cranford, NJ $4,719
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $6,124 per month in Cranford, NJ vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Cranford, NJ $6,124
Chicago, IL $6,115

Cranford, NJ costs about 6% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cranford, NJ and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Cranford, NJ by 145%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.46 $22.46

$20.65 $20.65

8.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 $111

$90.2 $90.2

22.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.16 $13.16

$12.94 $12.94

1.70%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$5.60 $5.60

-7.14%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$2.64 $2.64

-3.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.27 $2.27

35.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$6.98 $6.98

-1.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.74 $8.74

$8.83 $8.83

-1.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.27 $1.27

-4.72%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.80 $3.80

10.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$5.30 $5.30

-28.87%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$4.76 $4.76

-10.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.67 $16.67

$13.96 $13.96

19.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 $11.91

$14.61 $14.61

-18.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.32 $23.32

$18.77 $18.77

24.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$5.19 $5.19

-14.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.98 $1.98

-31.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.93 $3.93

4.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$4.96 $4.96

-17.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.76 $2.76

-22.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.76 $2.76

-1.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.22 $2.22

51.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.98 $2.98

-14.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.91 $14.91

$14.02 $14.02

6.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$15.28 $15.28

-3.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.58 $2.58

-34.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.50 $3.50

-9.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.47 $2.47

96.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.34 $3.34

53.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.43 $1.43

115.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.82 $34.82

$24.32 $24.32

43.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.26 $1.26

-27.78%

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

$23.4K $23.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-33.11%

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

$22.9K $22.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

-12.33%

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

$208 $208

$193 $193

8.06%

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

$30.27 $30.27

$68.3 $68.3

-55.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 $50.1

$61.3 $61.3

-18.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.87 $40.87

$54.1 $54.1

-24.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$16.27 $16.27

$17.74 $17.74

-8.29%

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

$1,627 $1,627

$1,652 $1,652

-1.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$65.1K $65.1K

$31.1K $31.1K

109.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.4 $88.4

$66.1 $66.1

33.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 $56.7

$51.2 $51.2

10.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 $138

$100 $100

38.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$141 $141

7.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,532 $2,532

$2,446 $2,446

3.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 $1,927

$1,678 $1,678

14.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,713 $3,713

$4,717 $4,717

-21.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,866 $2,866

$2,795 $2,795

2.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,962 $2,962

$4,105 $4,105

-27.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,116 $4,116

$2,650 $2,650

55.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.99

6.81

2.64%

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

Last update for Cranford, NJ: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cranford, NJ

$1.9K 58.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 12.9% $249

Groceries & Markets

Cranford, NJ

$433 13.1%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 3.8% $16

Eating Out

Cranford, NJ

$356 10.7%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 3.5% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cranford, NJ

$289 8.7%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 11.6% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Cranford, NJ

$196 5.9%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 17.7% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Cranford, NJ

$73 2.2%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 22% $16

Getting Around

Cranford, NJ

$40 * 1.2%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 138% $55

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,532 in Cranford, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $111 in Cranford, NJ versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $433 in Cranford, NJ vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Cranford, NJ wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cranford, NJ

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

23:07 11:07 PM

22:07 10:07 PM

1 h behind Cranford, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,369

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

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

From you

Cranford, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,314 in Cranford, NJ, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,971 per month in Cranford, 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 Chicago, IL, 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 $111 in Cranford, 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 4% cheaper in Cranford, NJ – 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 $3,314 in Cranford, 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 $3,139 in Chicago, IL to $3,314 in Cranford, NJ. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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