Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston, NY and Chicago, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Kingston, NY and in Chicago, IL: $3,082 and $3,037 a month, rent and utilities included.

148

Cost of Living Index in Kingston, NY
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Kingston, NY Living Index
147

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

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Kingston, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,082

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,082 per month in Kingston, NY vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Kingston, NY $3,082
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,513 per month in Kingston, NY vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Kingston, NY $4,513
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,943 per month in Kingston, NY vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Kingston, NY $5,943
Chicago, IL $5,999

Kingston, NY and Chicago, IL have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Kingston, NY and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Kingston, NY by 126%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.17 $25.17

$20.71 $20.71

21.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 $78.5

$89.2 $89.2

-11.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.86 $14.86

$13.19 $13.19

12.66%

Cappuccino

$6.17 $6.17

$5.66 $5.66

9.01%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$2.64 $2.64

1.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.28 $2.28

3.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.11 $8.11

$6.87 $6.87

18.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.93 $8.93

$8.84 $8.84

1.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.25 $1.25

-21.60%

White Bread (500g)

$4.72 $4.72

$3.72 $3.72

26.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.59 $6.59

$5.39 $5.39

22.26%

Eggs

$4.48 $4.48

$4.74 $4.74

-5.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.84 $15.84

$13.84 $13.84

14.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 $10.65

$14.40 $14.40

-26.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.20 $17.20

$18.38 $18.38

-6.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$5.22 $5.22

-8.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.98 $1.98

-35.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.06 $4.06

16.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.97 $4.97

35.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.67 $2.67

41.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.66 $2.66

27.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.24 $2.24

13.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$3.13 $3.13

-40.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.96 $16.96

$13.82 $13.82

22.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.17 $15.17

$14.88 $14.88

1.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.54 $2.54

-23.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.51 $3.51

-0.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.43 $2.43

-13.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.1 $61.1

$73.5 $73.5

-16.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 $3.19

$3.18 $3.18

0.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.39 $1.39

30.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.48 $26.48

$25.03 $25.03

5.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.20 $1.20

-25.00%

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

$31.5K $31.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

-10.23%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$26.7K $26.7K

-4.48%

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

$210 $210

$194 $194

8.21%

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

$67.2 $67.2

$69.5 $69.5

-3.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.0 $79.0

$61.6 $61.6

28.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.10 $43.10

$47.90 $47.90

-10.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.9 $58.9

$27.34 $27.34

115.58%

Cinema Ticket

$14.95 $14.95

$17.81 $17.81

-16.06%

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

$2,452 $2,452

$1,794 $1,794

36.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$31.9K $31.9K

-27.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.02 $49.02

$67.0 $67.0

-26.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.80 $29.80

$52.1 $52.1

-42.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 $81.9

$102 $102

-19.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 $77.3

$144 $144

-46.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 $1,861

$2,526 $2,526

-26.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 $1,630

$1,578 $1,578

3.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,292 $3,292

$4,738 $4,738

-30.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,715 $2,715

$2,693 $2,693

0.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,221 $3,221

$4,190 $4,190

-23.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,238 $3,238

$2,768 $2,768

16.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,109 $3,109

$4,931 $4,931

-36.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.81

-1.91%

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

Last update for Kingston, NY: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kingston, NY

$1.6K 52.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 3.2% $52

Groceries & Markets

Kingston, NY

$435 14.1%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 2.7% $12

Eating Out

Kingston, NY

$399 12.9%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 13.5% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kingston, NY

$357 11.6%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 8.7% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Kingston, NY

$107 3.5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 53.1% $57

Getting Around

Kingston, NY

$82 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 14.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Kingston, NY

$73 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 14.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,861 in Kingston, NY 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 59% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Kingston, NY versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $435 vs $447 – making Kingston, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kingston, NY

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

05:40 5:40 AM

1 h behind Kingston, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,436

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Kingston, NY Chicago, IL 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Kingston, NY
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

Kingston, NY vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,623 per month in Kingston, NY 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 Kingston, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,861 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Kingston, NY 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 17% less in Kingston, NY. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,082 in Kingston, NY and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chicago, IL costs $3,037 versus $3,082 in Kingston, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.