Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Montclair, NJ: $2,899 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Montclair, NJ
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Montclair, NJ Living Index
147

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

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Montclair, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,899

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,899 per month in Montclair, NJ vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Montclair, NJ $2,899
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,264 per month in Montclair, NJ vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Montclair, NJ $4,264
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,629 per month in Montclair, NJ vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Montclair, NJ $5,629
Chicago, IL $5,999

Montclair, NJ is about 5% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montclair, NJ and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Montclair, NJ by 113%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.04 $20.04

$20.71 $20.71

-3.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 $80.7

$89.2 $89.2

-9.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.14 $13.14

$13.19 $13.19

-0.38%

Cappuccino

$6.35 $6.35

$5.66 $5.66

12.19%

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

$2.45 $2.45

$2.64 $2.64

-7.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.28 $2.28

-35.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.14 $8.14

$6.87 $6.87

18.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 $7.17

$8.84 $8.84

-18.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.25 $1.25

1.60%

White Bread (500g)

$4.48 $4.48

$3.72 $3.72

20.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$5.39 $5.39

12.24%

Eggs

$6.13 $6.13

$4.74 $4.74

29.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.76 $13.76

$13.84 $13.84

-0.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.20 $10.20

$14.40 $14.40

-29.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.41 $19.41

$18.38 $18.38

5.60%

Apples (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$5.22 $5.22

15.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.98 $1.98

14.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$4.06 $4.06

3.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$4.97 $4.97

9.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.67 $2.67

17.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.66 $2.66

12.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.24 $2.24

29.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.13 $3.13

-13.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.55 $14.55

$13.82 $13.82

5.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.14 $15.14

$14.88 $14.88

1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.54 $2.54

-26.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.51 $3.51

1.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.18 $3.18

-3.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.39 $1.39

57.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.69 $42.69

$25.03 $25.03

70.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.20 $1.20

-5.83%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.27%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.7K $26.7K

-4.63%

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

$170 $170

$194 $194

-12.35%

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

$51.6 $51.6

$69.5 $69.5

-25.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 $50.5

$61.6 $61.6

-18.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.8 $80.8

$47.90 $47.90

68.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$20.23 $20.23

$17.81 $17.81

13.59%

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

$1,998 $1,998

$1,794 $1,794

11.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$31.9K $31.9K

-49.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 $70.1

$67.0 $67.0

4.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 $51.0

$52.1 $52.1

-2.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$102 $102

-1.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$144 $144

-16.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,261 $2,261

$2,526 $2,526

-10.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 $1,540

$1,578 $1,578

-2.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,631 $3,631

$4,738 $4,738

-23.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,557 $2,557

$2,693 $2,693

-5.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

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 Montclair, NJ: 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

Montclair, NJ

$1.5K 53.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 2.5% $38

Groceries & Markets

Montclair, NJ

$451 15.6%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 0.7% $3.3

Eating Out

Montclair, NJ

$347 12%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 0.5% $1.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montclair, NJ

$273 9.4%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 19.4% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Montclair, NJ

$154 5.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 6.6% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Montclair, NJ

$121 4.2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 31.1% $38

Getting Around

Montclair, NJ

$14 * 0.5%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 568% $79

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,261 in Montclair, 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 Montclair, NJ versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $451 in Montclair, NJ vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Montclair, NJ

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

16:34 4:34 PM

15:34 3:34 PM

1 h behind Montclair, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,669

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Montclair, NJ Chicago, IL 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Montclair, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,899 in Montclair, NJ, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Montclair, NJ comes out roughly 5% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,348 per month in Montclair, 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 Montclair, NJ, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,261 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Kindergarten costs $1,998 per month in Montclair, NJ and $1,794 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,899 in Montclair, NJ and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. That makes Montclair, NJ about 5% cheaper.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,899 in Montclair, NJ 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 $2,899 in Montclair, NJ to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.