Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Lee, NJ and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

187

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lee, NJ
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Fort Lee, NJ Living Index
147

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

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Fort Lee, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,894

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,894 per month in Fort Lee, NJ vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Fort Lee, NJ $3,894
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $6,154 per month in Fort Lee, NJ vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Fort Lee, NJ $6,154
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $8,415 per month in Fort Lee, NJ vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Fort Lee, NJ $8,415
Chicago, IL $5,999

Fort Lee, NJ costs about 28% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Fort Lee, NJ and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Fort Lee, NJ by 186%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.04 $25.04

$20.71 $20.71

20.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$89.2 $89.2

-9.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 $10.95

$13.19 $13.19

-16.98%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$5.66 $5.66

-5.48%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$2.64 $2.64

-17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.28 $2.28

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$6.87 $6.87

19.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$8.84 $8.84

-9.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.25 $1.25

6.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.72 $3.72

3.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$5.39 $5.39

25.97%

Eggs

$4.63 $4.63

$4.74 $4.74

-2.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 $12.55

$13.84 $13.84

-9.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 $11.86

$14.40 $14.40

-17.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.50 $17.50

$18.38 $18.38

-4.79%

Apples (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$5.22 $5.22

4.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.98 $1.98

-10.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.27 $6.27

$4.06 $4.06

54.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$4.97 $4.97

9.05%

Potato (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.67 $2.67

52.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.66 $2.66

47.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.24 $2.24

29.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.13 $3.13

-12.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.78 $11.78

$13.82 $13.82

-14.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 $11.86

$14.88 $14.88

-20.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.54 $2.54

-32.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.51 $3.51

-42.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.43 $2.43

11.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$135 $135

$73.5 $73.5

83.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.18 $3.18

-5.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.39 $1.39

51.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$25.03 $25.03

-3.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.20 $1.20

-28.33%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.25%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.82%

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

$215 $215

$194 $194

10.77%

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

$75.8 $75.8

$69.5 $69.5

9.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 $64.2

$61.6 $61.6

4.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$127 $127

$47.90 $47.90

164.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 $14.55

$17.81 $17.81

-18.30%

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

$2,027 $2,027

$1,794 $1,794

12.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$31.9K $31.9K

-25.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.93 $41.93

$67.0 $67.0

-37.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 $57.6

$52.1 $52.1

10.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 $77.6

$102 $102

-23.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 $84.5

$144 $144

-41.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,927 $2,927

$2,526 $2,526

15.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,299 $2,299

$1,578 $1,578

45.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,548 $6,548

$4,738 $4,738

38.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,918 $4,918

$2,693 $2,693

82.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,299 $4,299

$4,190 $4,190

2.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,727 $3,727

$2,768 $2,768

34.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,606 $6,606

$4,931 $4,931

33.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.81

-0.88%

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

Last update for Fort Lee, NJ: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort Lee, NJ

$2.3K 59%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 31.3% $721

Groceries & Markets

Fort Lee, NJ

$438 11.2%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 2.2% $9.7

Eating Out

Fort Lee, NJ

$369 9.5%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 6.6% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Lee, NJ

$355 9.1%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 8.4% $30

Getting Around

Fort Lee, NJ

$159 4.1%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 41.3% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Lee, NJ

$156 4%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 46.4% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Lee, NJ

$118 3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 39.3% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,927 in Fort Lee, 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.

Salaries run about 34% higher in Fort Lee, NJ. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $438 vs $447 – making Fort Lee, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Lee, NJ

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

09:20 9:20 AM

08:20 8:20 AM

1 h behind Fort Lee, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,008

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

Fort Lee, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,840 per month in Fort Lee, 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 Chicago, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,526 there versus $2,927 in Fort Lee, NJ.

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

Public transport costs about 45% less in Chicago, IL. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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