Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mount Vernon, NY and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Mount Vernon, NY: $2,675 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Mount Vernon, NY
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Mount Vernon, NY Living Index
152

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

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Mount Vernon, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,675

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,675 per month in Mount Vernon, NY vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Mount Vernon, NY $2,675
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,104 per month in Mount Vernon, NY vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Mount Vernon, NY $4,104
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,534 per month in Mount Vernon, NY vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Mount Vernon, NY $5,534
Chicago, IL $6,115

Mount Vernon, NY is about 15% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mount Vernon, NY and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Mount Vernon, NY by 97%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.89 $24.89

$20.65 $20.65

20.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.7 $99.7

$90.2 $90.2

10.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 $10.79

$12.94 $12.94

-16.62%

Cappuccino

$6.15 $6.15

$5.60 $5.60

9.82%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$2.64 $2.64

-17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.27 $2.27

-29.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.98 $7.98

$6.98 $6.98

14.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 $7.98

$8.83 $8.83

-9.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.27 $1.27

3.15%

White Bread (500g)

$4.17 $4.17

$3.80 $3.80

9.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.57 $7.57

$5.30 $5.30

42.83%

Eggs

$5.95 $5.95

$4.76 $4.76

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.32 $12.32

$13.96 $13.96

-11.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.75 $11.75

$14.61 $14.61

-19.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.95 $16.95

$18.77 $18.77

-9.70%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.19 $5.19

2.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.98 $1.98

-9.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$3.93 $3.93

58.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.01 $6.01

$4.96 $4.96

21.17%

Potato (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$2.76 $2.76

48.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.76 $2.76

38.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.22 $2.22

29.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.98 $2.98

-14.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.86 $11.86

$14.02 $14.02

-15.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.14 $20.14

$15.28 $15.28

31.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.58 $2.58

-34.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 $3.83

$3.50 $3.50

9.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.47 $2.47

-16.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.34 $3.34

-8.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.43 $1.43

46.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.54 $23.54

$24.32 $24.32

-3.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.26 $1.26

-11.11%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$35.0K $35.0K

-20.63%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$26.1K $26.1K

-2.05%

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

$212 $212

$193 $193

10.12%

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

$74.8 $74.8

$68.3 $68.3

9.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 $64.3

$61.3 $61.3

4.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.42 $39.42

$54.1 $54.1

-27.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$14.62 $14.62

$17.74 $17.74

-17.59%

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

$2,242 $2,242

$1,652 $1,652

35.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K $24.1K

$31.1K $31.1K

-22.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.81 $40.81

$66.1 $66.1

-38.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$51.2 $51.2

-1.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 $74.9

$100 $100

-25.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$141 $141

-4.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 $1,366

$2,446 $2,446

-44.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 $1,256

$1,678 $1,678

-25.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,516 $2,516

$4,717 $4,717

-46.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,295 $2,295

$2,795 $2,795

-17.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,539 $2,539

$4,105 $4,105

-38.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 $2,089

$2,650 $2,650

-21.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,460 $4,460

$4,866 $4,866

-8.34%

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 Mount Vernon, NY: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mount Vernon, NY

$1.3K 46.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 33.6% $422

Groceries & Markets

Mount Vernon, NY

$466 17.4%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 3.6% $17

Eating Out

Mount Vernon, NY

$376 14.1%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 8.7% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mount Vernon, NY

$351 13.1%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 8.3% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Mount Vernon, NY

$135 5.1%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 19.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Mount Vernon, NY

$69 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 30.5% $21

Getting Around

Mount Vernon, NY

$22 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 337% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,366 in Mount Vernon, NY versus $2,446 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 9% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Mount Vernon, NY versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $466 vs $449 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mount Vernon, NY

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

02:37 2:37 AM

1 h behind Mount Vernon, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,893

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mount Vernon, NY Chicago, IL 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mount Vernon, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,675 in Mount Vernon, NY, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 17% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,012 per month in Mount Vernon, NY and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Mount Vernon, NY and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,675 in Mount Vernon, NY and $3,139 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 $2,675 in Mount Vernon, NY to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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