Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $4,225 in Long Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Long Island, NY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

201

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

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

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Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,225

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,225 per month in Long Island, NY vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Long Island, NY $4,225
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $5,930 per month in Long Island, NY vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Long Island, NY $5,930
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $7,634 per month in Long Island, NY vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Long Island, NY $7,634
Chicago, IL $5,999

Long Island, NY costs about 39% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Long Island, NY and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Long Island, NY by 210%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.14 $25.14

$20.71 $20.71

21.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 $98.5

$89.2 $89.2

10.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 $10.99

$13.19 $13.19

-16.68%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$5.66 $5.66

-10.25%

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

$2.14 $2.14

$2.64 $2.64

-18.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.28 $2.28

-30.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.02 $8.02

$6.87 $6.87

16.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$8.84 $8.84

-10.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.25 $1.25

5.60%

White Bread (500g)

$4.26 $4.26

$3.72 $3.72

14.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$5.39 $5.39

-64.01%

Eggs

$5.26 $5.26

$4.74 $4.74

10.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 $7.21

$13.84 $13.84

-47.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.89 $11.89

$14.40 $14.40

-17.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$18.38 $18.38

-11.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$5.22 $5.22

-18.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.98 $1.98

-39.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$4.06 $4.06

-49.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$4.97 $4.97

23.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$2.67 $2.67

-59.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.66 $2.66

-18.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.24 $2.24

-33.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.13 $3.13

-8.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.85 $11.85

$13.82 $13.82

-14.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.58 $17.58

$14.88 $14.88

18.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.54 $2.54

-30.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.51 $3.51

16.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.43 $2.43

22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$130 $130

$73.5 $73.5

76.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.18 $3.18

-5.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.39 $1.39

43.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.41 $24.41

$25.03 $25.03

-2.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.20 $1.20

-7.50%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.54%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.49%

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

$192 $192

$194 $194

-1.36%

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

$48.26 $48.26

$69.5 $69.5

-30.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 $53.7

$61.6 $61.6

-12.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.30 $31.30

$47.90 $47.90

-34.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$102 $102

$27.34 $27.34

272.71%

Cinema Ticket

$14.69 $14.69

$17.81 $17.81

-17.52%

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

$2,444 $2,444

$1,794 $1,794

36.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$31.9K $31.9K

-26.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.07 $40.07

$67.0 $67.0

-40.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 $56.7

$52.1 $52.1

8.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 $76.3

$102 $102

-24.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 $155

$144 $144

8.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,189 $3,189

$2,526 $2,526

26.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 $2,820

$1,578 $1,578

78.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,670 $5,670

$4,738 $4,738

19.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,315 $4,315

$2,693 $2,693

60.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,973 $5,973

$4,190 $4,190

42.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,241 $4,241

$2,768 $2,768

53.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,981 $4,981

$4,931 $4,931

1.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.81

-2.64%

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

Last update for Long Island, NY: 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

Long Island, NY

$2.8K 66.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 44% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Long Island, NY

$382 9%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 17.2% $66

Eating Out

Long Island, NY

$366 8.7%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 5.7% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Long Island, NY

$294 7%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 10.8% $32

Getting Around

Long Island, NY

$154 3.7%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 39.5% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Long Island, NY

$148 3.5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 10.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Long Island, NY

$61 1.4%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 37.6% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,189 in Long Island, 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 $99 in Long Island, NY versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $382 in Long Island, NY vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Long Island, NY wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

20:23 8:23 PM

1 h behind Long Island, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,804,968

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

Long Island, NY Chicago, IL 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,225 in Long Island, NY, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,337 per month in Long Island, 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 Chicago, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,526 there versus $3,189 in Long Island, NY.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Long Island, NY – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Long Island, NY and $89 in Chicago, IL. 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 $4,225 in Long Island, 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. Long Island, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $4,225 in Long Island, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.