Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Morristown, NJ and Evanston, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Evanston, IL: $2,584 a month against $3,972 in Morristown, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Morristown, NJ outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

190

Cost of Living Index in Morristown, NJ
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Morristown, NJ Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Evanston, IL
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Evanston, IL Living Index

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Morristown, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,972

/mo nomad

Evanston, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,584

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Morristown, NJ and in Evanston, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Morristown, NJ and in Evanston, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,972 per month in Morristown, NJ vs $2,584 in Evanston, IL, rent included.

Morristown, NJ $3,972
Evanston, IL $2,584

A couple spends around $5,434 per month in Morristown, NJ vs $4,475 in Evanston, IL, rent included.

Morristown, NJ $5,434
Evanston, IL $4,475

A family of three spends $6,896 per month in Morristown, NJ vs $6,367 in Evanston, IL, rent included.

Morristown, NJ $6,896
Evanston, IL $6,367

Morristown, NJ costs about 54% more than Evanston, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Morristown, NJ and Evanston, IL sit above the global median – Morristown, NJ by 193%, Evanston, IL by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.66 $18.66

$20.46 $20.46

-8.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 $81.1

$84.6 $84.6

-4.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 $12.17

$12.81 $12.81

-5.00%

Cappuccino

$5.95 $5.95

$5.82 $5.82

2.23%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$2.82 $2.82

-13.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.19 $2.19

-31.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$7.20 $7.20

14.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.91 $11.91

$8.22 $8.22

44.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.05 $1.05

16.19%

White Bread (500g)

$4.59 $4.59

$3.80 $3.80

20.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$4.17 $4.17

2.88%

Eggs

$6.52 $6.52

$4.72 $4.72

38.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.87 $13.87

$13.92 $13.92

-0.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$14.56 $14.56

-54.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.88 $19.88

$20.22 $20.22

-1.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$5.35 $5.35

9.91%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.62 $1.62

86.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.05 $4.05

8.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$4.95 $4.95

10.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.69 $2.69

11.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.94 $2.94

6.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.17 $2.17

-5.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

$2.33 $2.33

-77.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.21 $13.21

$10.66 $10.66

23.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 $15.27

$15.25 $15.25

0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.62 $2.62

-30.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.34 $3.34

-3.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.46 $2.46

2.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.2 $70.2

$76.3 $76.3

-8.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.95 $3.95

-22.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.44 $1.44

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.31 $42.31

$44.49 $44.49

-4.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.99 $0.99

-10.10%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$30.5K $30.5K

-7.91%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$25.8K $25.8K

-1.32%

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

$173 $173

$195 $195

-11.54%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$60.0 $60.0

-15.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.6 $50.6

$72.6 $72.6

-30.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.1 $80.1

$75.6 $75.6

5.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.83 $20.83

$58.9 $58.9

-64.66%

Cinema Ticket

$17.31 $17.31

$15.17 $15.17

14.11%

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

$1,990 $1,990

$1,662 $1,662

19.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K $15.9K

$31.5K $31.5K

-49.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.51 $49.51

$63.4 $63.4

-21.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.52 $26.52

$51.5 $51.5

-48.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$105 $105

4.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$125 $125

-18.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,706 $2,706

$1,660 $1,660

63.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,618 $2,618

$1,115 $1,115

134.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,140 $4,140

$4,057 $4,057

2.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,810 $3,810

$3,042 $3,042

25.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,710 $2,710

$14.6K $14.6K

-81.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 $2,292

$12.8K $12.8K

-82.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,357 $5,357

$5,426 $5,426

-1.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.81

-3.67%

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

Last update for Morristown, NJ: October 18, 2026

Last update for Evanston, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Morristown, NJ

$2.6K 65.9%

Evanston, IL

$1.1K 43.2% 57.4% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Morristown, NJ

$404 10.2%

Evanston, IL

$438 16.9% 8.4% $34

Eating Out

Morristown, NJ

$338 8.5%

Evanston, IL

$344 13.3% 1.9% $6.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Morristown, NJ

$274 6.9%

Evanston, IL

$328 12.7% 19.6% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Morristown, NJ

$129 3.3%

Evanston, IL

$155 6% 20.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Morristown, NJ

$115 2.9%

Evanston, IL

$106 4.1% 7.7% $8.8

Getting Around

Morristown, NJ

$94 2.4%

Evanston, IL

$97 3.8% 3.4% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,706 in Morristown, NJ versus $1,660 in Evanston, 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 1% higher in Evanston, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Morristown, NJ versus $85.0 in Evanston, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $404 vs $438 – making Morristown, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Morristown, NJ

🇺🇸 Evanston, IL

🕒 Local time

00:36 12:36 AM

23:36 11:36 PM

1 h behind Morristown, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,122

74,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Morristown, NJ Evanston, IL 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Morristown, NJ
Evanston, 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

Morristown, NJ vs Evanston, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,972 in Morristown, NJ, $2,584 in Evanston, IL – roughly 54% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,957 per month in Morristown, NJ and $3,876 in Evanston, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Evanston, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Morristown, NJ – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Morristown, NJ and $85.0 in Evanston, 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 $3,972 in Morristown, NJ and $2,584 in Evanston, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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