Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Cresskill, NJ: $2,684 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Cresskill, NJ
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Cresskill, NJ Living Index
146

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

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Cresskill, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,684

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,684 per month in Cresskill, NJ vs $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Cresskill, NJ $2,684
Chicago, IL $3,072

A couple spends around $4,055 per month in Cresskill, NJ vs $4,545 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Cresskill, NJ $4,055
Chicago, IL $4,545

A family of three spends $5,426 per month in Cresskill, NJ vs $6,019 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Cresskill, NJ $5,426
Chicago, IL $6,019

Cresskill, NJ is about 13% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Cresskill, NJ and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Cresskill, NJ by 98%, Chicago, IL by 127%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.24 $18.24

$20.39 $20.39

-10.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 $98.5

$88.6 $88.6

11.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.24 $12.24

$12.85 $12.85

-4.75%

Cappuccino

$5.40 $5.40

$5.78 $5.78

-6.57%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$2.74 $2.74

-7.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.26 $2.26

6.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 $7.91

$6.88 $6.88

14.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 $8.07

$9.24 $9.24

-12.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.26 $1.26

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.55 $3.55

2.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$5.38 $5.38

-24.16%

Eggs

$3.02 $3.02

$4.55 $4.55

-33.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.86 $11.86

$13.65 $13.65

-13.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.97 $14.97

$14.07 $14.07

6.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.06 $15.06

$18.06 $18.06

-16.61%

Apples (1kg)

$8.10 $8.10

$5.16 $5.16

56.98%

Banana (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.98 $1.98

89.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.88 $3.88

38.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$4.83 $4.83

22.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.81 $2.81

41.28%

Onion (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.67 $2.67

76.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.07 $2.07

21.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.03 $3.03

-18.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.60 $14.60

$13.90 $13.90

5.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.85 $20.85

$15.05 $15.05

38.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.63 $2.63

0.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.45 $3.45

-2.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.43 $2.43

-18.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.8 $59.8

$75.3 $75.3

-20.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.17 $3.17

-6.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.70 $1.70

28.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.80 $41.80

$24.90 $24.90

67.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.28 $1.28

-10.16%

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

$31.3K $31.3K

$35.8K $35.8K

-12.68%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.8K $26.8K

-3.84%

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

$221 $221

$192 $192

15.25%

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

$45.64 $45.64

$69.6 $69.6

-34.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.0 $61.0

$62.2 $62.2

-1.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.05 $40.05

$47.79 $47.79

-16.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$20.31 $20.31

$17.83 $17.83

13.91%

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

$1,191 $1,191

$1,815 $1,815

-34.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K $20.6K

$40.6K $40.6K

-49.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.09 $40.09

$66.2 $66.2

-39.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.21 $30.21

$51.4 $51.4

-41.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$103 $103

-1.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.1 $91.1

$143 $143

-36.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,698 $1,698

$2,531 $2,531

-32.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 $1,278

$1,621 $1,621

-21.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,884 $2,884

$4,828 $4,828

-40.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 $2,240

$2,734 $2,734

-18.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,523 $2,523

$4,163 $4,163

-39.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 $2,290

$2,723 $2,723

-15.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

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

Last update for Cresskill, NJ: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cresskill, NJ

$1.3K 47.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8% 26.8% $343

Groceries & Markets

Cresskill, NJ

$474 17.7%

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3% 7.3% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cresskill, NJ

$328 12.2%

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5% 1.3% $4.2

Eating Out

Cresskill, NJ

$323 12%

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2% 6.5% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Cresskill, NJ

$118 4.4%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3% 38.2% $45

Getting Around

Cresskill, NJ

$82 3%

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2% 18.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Cresskill, NJ

$81 3%

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7% 3.4% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,698 in Cresskill, NJ versus $2,531 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 $99 in Cresskill, NJ versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $474 vs $439 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cresskill, NJ

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

12:11 12:11 PM

11:11 11:11 AM

1 h behind Cresskill, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,000

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Cresskill, NJ Chicago, IL 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Cresskill, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,684 in Cresskill, NJ, $3,072 in Chicago, IL – Cresskill, NJ comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,025 per month in Cresskill, NJ and $4,608 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cresskill, NJ, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,698 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Cresskill, NJ and $89 in Chicago, IL. 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 $2,684 in Cresskill, NJ and $3,072 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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