Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Flanders, NJ: $2,527 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Flanders, NJ
Learn more

Flanders, NJ Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Flanders, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,527

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,527 per month in Flanders, NJ vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Flanders, NJ $2,527
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,750 per month in Flanders, NJ vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Flanders, NJ $3,750
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,974 per month in Flanders, NJ vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Flanders, NJ $4,974
Chicago, IL $5,999

Flanders, NJ is about 17% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Flanders, NJ and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Flanders, NJ by 86%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.17 $19.17

$20.71 $20.71

-7.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$89.2 $89.2

-8.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.86 $12.86

$13.19 $13.19

-2.50%

Cappuccino

$6.20 $6.20

$5.66 $5.66

9.54%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$2.64 $2.64

-3.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.28 $2.28

-35.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.02 $9.02

$6.87 $6.87

31.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 $7.03

$8.84 $8.84

-20.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.25 $1.25

-22.40%

White Bread (500g)

$4.60 $4.60

$3.72 $3.72

23.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$5.39 $5.39

-62.52%

Eggs

$2.52 $2.52

$4.74 $4.74

-46.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.82 $13.82

$13.84 $13.84

-0.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 $10.46

$14.40 $14.40

-27.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.88 $19.88

$18.38 $18.38

8.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$5.22 $5.22

-17.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.98 $1.98

-35.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$4.06 $4.06

-30.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.97 $4.97

6.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.67 $2.67

-16.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.66 $2.66

2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.24 $2.24

-8.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.13 $3.13

-4.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.82 $10.82

$13.82 $13.82

-21.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.30 $15.30

$14.88 $14.88

2.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.54 $2.54

-26.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.43 $2.43

-21.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.4 $53.4

$73.5 $73.5

-27.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.18 $3.18

-5.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.39 $1.39

53.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.46 $42.46

$25.03 $25.03

69.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.20 $1.20

-10.00%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.60%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.01%

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

$173 $173

$194 $194

-11.13%

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

$50.2 $50.2

$69.5 $69.5

-27.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 $50.0

$61.6 $61.6

-18.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.61 $39.61

$47.90 $47.90

-17.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$13.77 $13.77

$17.81 $17.81

-22.68%

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

$1,986 $1,986

$1,794 $1,794

10.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$31.9K $31.9K

-49.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.44 $29.44

$67.0 $67.0

-56.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.70 $41.70

$52.1 $52.1

-20.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.5 $69.5

$102 $102

-31.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$144 $144

-30.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,545 $1,545

$2,526 $2,526

-38.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 $1,265

$1,578 $1,578

-19.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,555 $2,555

$4,738 $4,738

-46.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,128 $2,128

$2,693 $2,693

-20.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,848 $2,848

$4,190 $4,190

-32.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,768 $2,768

-4.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

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 Flanders, NJ: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Flanders, NJ

$1.3K 50%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 24.8% $313

Groceries & Markets

Flanders, NJ

$397 15.7%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 12.6% $50

Eating Out

Flanders, NJ

$342 13.5%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 1% $3.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Flanders, NJ

$273 10.8%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 19.3% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Flanders, NJ

$109 4.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 51.1% $55

Getting Around

Flanders, NJ

$75 3%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 25% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Flanders, NJ

$67 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 24.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,545 in Flanders, NJ versus $2,526 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 $81 in Flanders, NJ versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $447 – making Flanders, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Flanders, NJ

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

10:24 10:24 AM

09:24 9:24 AM

1 h behind Flanders, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Flanders, NJ Chicago, IL 1,260 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Flanders, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,527 in Flanders, NJ, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – roughly 20% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,790 per month in Flanders, NJ and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Flanders, NJ, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,545 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Flanders, NJ and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Flanders, NJ, where all-in costs run around $2,527, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Flanders, NJ it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,527 in Flanders, NJ to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Flanders, NJ is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 20% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.