Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Evanston, IL and Morristown, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Evanston, IL: $2,584 a month against $3,972 in Morristown, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Morristown, NJ outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

124

Cost of Living Index in Evanston, IL
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Evanston, IL Living Index
190

Cost of Living Index in Morristown, NJ
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Morristown, NJ Living Index

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Evanston, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,584

/mo nomad

Morristown, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Evanston, IL and in Morristown, NJ

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

A single person spends $2,584 per month in Evanston, IL vs $3,972 in Morristown, NJ, rent included.

Evanston, IL $2,584
Morristown, NJ $3,972

A couple spends around $4,475 per month in Evanston, IL vs $5,434 in Morristown, NJ, rent included.

Evanston, IL $4,475
Morristown, NJ $5,434

A family of three spends $6,367 per month in Evanston, IL vs $6,896 in Morristown, NJ, rent included.

Evanston, IL $6,367
Morristown, NJ $6,896

Evanston, IL is about 35% cheaper than Morristown, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Evanston, IL and Morristown, NJ sit above the global median – Evanston, IL by 91%, Morristown, NJ by 193%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.46 $20.46

$18.66 $18.66

9.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$81.1 $81.1

4.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.81 $12.81

$12.17 $12.17

5.26%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$5.95 $5.95

-2.18%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$2.43 $2.43

16.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.51 $1.51

45.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.20 $7.20

$8.21 $8.21

-12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 $8.22

$11.91 $11.91

-30.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.22 $1.22

-13.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.59 $4.59

-17.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$4.29 $4.29

-2.80%

Eggs

$4.72 $4.72

$6.52 $6.52

-27.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 $13.92

$13.87 $13.87

0.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.56 $14.56

$6.58 $6.58

121.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.22 $20.22

$19.88 $19.88

1.71%

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$5.88 $5.88

-9.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$3.02 $3.02

-46.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$4.38 $4.38

-7.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$5.47 $5.47

-9.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.99 $2.99

-10.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.12 $3.12

-5.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.05 $2.05

5.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$0.52 $0.52

348.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.66 $10.66

$13.21 $13.21

-19.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$15.27 $15.27

-0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.83 $1.83

43.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.22 $3.22

3.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.53 $2.53

-2.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 $76.3

$70.2 $70.2

8.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 $3.95

$3.07 $3.07

28.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 $1.44

$2.16 $2.16

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.49 $44.49

$42.31 $42.31

5.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.89 $0.89

11.24%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$28.1K $28.1K

8.59%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.4K $25.4K

1.33%

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

$195 $195

$173 $173

13.04%

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

$60.0 $60.0

$51.0 $51.0

17.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.6 $72.6

$50.6 $50.6

43.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.6 $75.6

$80.1 $80.1

-5.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.9 $58.9

$20.83 $20.83

182.96%

Cinema Ticket

$15.17 $15.17

$17.31 $17.31

-12.36%

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

$1,662 $1,662

$1,990 $1,990

-16.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.5K $31.5K

$15.9K $15.9K

97.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 $63.4

$49.51 $49.51

27.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 $51.5

$26.52 $26.52

94.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$110 $110

-4.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$101 $101

23.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 $1,660

$2,706 $2,706

-38.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 $1,115

$2,618 $2,618

-57.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,057 $4,057

$4,140 $4,140

-2.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,042 $3,042

$3,810 $3,810

-20.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.6K $14.6K

$2,710 $2,710

438.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.8K $12.8K

$2,292 $2,292

457.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,426 $5,426

$5,357 $5,357

1.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.56

3.81%

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

Last update for Evanston, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Morristown, NJ: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Evanston, IL

$1.1K 43.2%

Morristown, NJ

$2.6K 65.9% 135% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Evanston, IL

$438 16.9%

Morristown, NJ

$404 10.2% 7.8% $34

Eating Out

Evanston, IL

$344 13.3%

Morristown, NJ

$338 8.5% 1.9% $6.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Evanston, IL

$328 12.7%

Morristown, NJ

$274 6.9% 16.4% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Evanston, IL

$155 6%

Morristown, NJ

$129 3.3% 16.8% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Evanston, IL

$106 4.1%

Morristown, NJ

$115 2.9% 8.3% $8.8

Getting Around

Evanston, IL

$97 3.8%

Morristown, NJ

$94 2.4% 3.2% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,660 in Evanston, IL versus $2,706 in Morristown, 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 1% higher in Evanston, 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 $85.0 in Evanston, IL versus $81.0 in Morristown, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $438 vs $404 – making Morristown, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Evanston, IL

🇺🇸 Morristown, NJ

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

04:10 4:10 AM

1 h ahead of Evanston, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,486

19,122

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Evanston, IL Morristown, NJ 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Evanston, IL
Morristown, 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

Evanston, IL vs Morristown, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,584 in Evanston, IL, $3,972 in Morristown, NJ – roughly 54% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,876 per month in Evanston, IL and $5,957 in Morristown, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Morristown, NJ – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Evanston, IL and $81.0 in Morristown, 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 $2,584 in Evanston, IL and $3,972 in Morristown, NJ. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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 Evanston, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Morristown, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.