Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Long Beach, NY and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Long Beach, NY: $2,630 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Long Beach, NY
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Long Beach, NY Living Index
147

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

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Long Beach, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,630

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Long Beach, NY vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Long Beach, NY $2,630
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,884 per month in Long Beach, NY vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Long Beach, NY $3,884
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,138 per month in Long Beach, NY vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Long Beach, NY $5,138
Chicago, IL $5,999

Long Beach, NY is about 13% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Long Beach, NY and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Long Beach, NY by 93%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.62 $24.62

$20.71 $20.71

18.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 $80.1

$89.2 $89.2

-10.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 $10.96

$13.19 $13.19

-16.91%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$5.66 $5.66

-1.24%

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)

$8.07 $8.07

$6.87 $6.87

17.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.84 $7.84

$8.84 $8.84

-11.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.25 $1.25

0.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.72 $3.72

16.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.97 $5.97

$5.39 $5.39

10.76%

Eggs

$6.85 $6.85

$4.74 $4.74

44.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.17 $13.17

$13.84 $13.84

-4.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 $12.07

$14.40 $14.40

-16.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.04 $17.04

$18.38 $18.38

-7.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.49 $5.49

$5.22 $5.22

5.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.98 $1.98

-14.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$4.06 $4.06

7.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.97 $4.97

9.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.67 $2.67

16.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.66 $2.66

15.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.24 $2.24

29.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.13 $3.13

-8.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.49 $11.49

$13.82 $13.82

-16.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

$14.88 $14.88

-0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.54 $2.54

-33.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 $3.53

$3.51 $3.51

0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.43 $2.43

-27.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 $68.9

$73.5 $73.5

-6.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.18 $3.18

-5.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.39 $1.39

48.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.38 $24.38

$25.03 $25.03

-2.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.20 $1.20

-7.50%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.32%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.46%

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

$170 $170

$194 $194

-12.73%

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

$51.8 $51.8

$69.5 $69.5

-25.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.43 $49.43

$61.6 $61.6

-19.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.88 $35.88

$47.90 $47.90

-25.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$14.38 $14.38

$17.81 $17.81

-19.26%

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

$1,970 $1,970

$1,794 $1,794

9.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$31.9K $31.9K

-49.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.77 $40.77

$67.0 $67.0

-39.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.4 $58.4

$52.1 $52.1

12.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 $77.0

$102 $102

-24.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$144 $144

-29.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 $1,570

$2,526 $2,526

-37.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 $1,264

$1,578 $1,578

-19.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,919 $2,919

$4,738 $4,738

-38.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 $2,047

$2,693 $2,693

-23.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,906 $2,906

$4,190 $4,190

-30.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,696 $2,696

$2,768 $2,768

-2.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

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 Long Beach, NY: 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

Long Beach, NY

$1.3K 48.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 24.8% $314

Groceries & Markets

Long Beach, NY

$447 17%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 0.1% $0.3

Eating Out

Long Beach, NY

$369 14%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 6.5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Long Beach, NY

$271 10.3%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 20.2% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Long Beach, NY

$125 4.7%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 31.4% $39

Getting Around

Long Beach, NY

$89 3.4%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 4.5% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Long Beach, NY

$65 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 29.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,570 in Long Beach, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Long Beach, NY versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $447 – making Long Beach, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Long Beach, NY

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

07:18 7:18 AM

06:18 6:18 AM

1 h behind Long Beach, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

469,450

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Long Beach, NY Chicago, IL 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Long Beach, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,630 in Long Beach, NY, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,945 per month in Long Beach, 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 Long Beach, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,570 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Long Beach, 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 6% less in Long Beach, NY. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,630 in Long Beach, NY and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,630 in Long Beach, NY to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.