Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Bedford, MA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in New Bedford, MA: $2,753 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in New Bedford, MA
Learn more

New Bedford, MA Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

New Bedford, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,753

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,753 per month in New Bedford, MA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

New Bedford, MA $2,753
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,820 per month in New Bedford, MA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

New Bedford, MA $3,820
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,887 per month in New Bedford, MA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

New Bedford, MA $4,887
Chicago, IL $6,115

New Bedford, MA is about 12% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both New Bedford, MA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – New Bedford, MA by 103%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.68 $19.68

$20.65 $20.65

-4.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 $59.1

$90.2 $90.2

-34.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.95 $5.95

$12.94 $12.94

-54.02%

Cappuccino

$4.11 $4.11

$5.60 $5.60

-26.61%

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

$2.31 $2.31

$2.64 $2.64

-12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.27 $2.27

-45.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$6.98 $6.98

-13.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$8.83 $8.83

-53.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.27 $1.27

-20.47%

White Bread (500g)

$4.58 $4.58

$3.80 $3.80

20.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$16.26 $16.26

$5.30 $5.30

206.79%

Eggs

$6.42 $6.42

$4.76 $4.76

34.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 $10.57

$13.96 $13.96

-24.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.74 $10.74

$14.61 $14.61

-26.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 $19.16

$18.77 $18.77

2.08%

Apples (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$5.19 $5.19

3.66%

Banana (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$1.98 $1.98

125.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$3.93 $3.93

-13.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$4.96 $4.96

-39.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.76 $2.76

-19.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.76 $2.76

-12.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.22 $2.22

23.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.98 $2.98

-3.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.07 $13.07

$14.02 $14.02

-6.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.85 $16.85

$15.28 $15.28

10.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.58 $2.58

-25.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 $2.84

$3.50 $3.50

-18.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 $6.12

$3.34 $3.34

83.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.43 $1.43

53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.26 $1.26

-13.49%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.51%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

1.95%

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

$181 $181

$193 $193

-5.96%

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

$36.85 $36.85

$68.3 $68.3

-46.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 $58.6

$61.3 $61.3

-4.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.95 $28.95

$54.1 $54.1

-46.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$12.43 $12.43

$17.74 $17.74

-29.93%

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

$2,133 $2,133

$1,652 $1,652

29.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.67 $38.67

$66.1 $66.1

-41.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.01 $16.01

$51.2 $51.2

-68.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 $99.5

$100 $100

-0.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,869 $1,869

$2,446 $2,446

-23.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 $1,581

$1,678 $1,678

-5.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,615 $2,615

$4,717 $4,717

-44.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,341 $2,341

$2,795 $2,795

-16.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,641 $4,641

$4,866 $4,866

-4.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.42

6.81

-20.41%

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

Last update for New Bedford, MA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New Bedford, MA

$1.6K 57.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 6.1% $96

Groceries & Markets

New Bedford, MA

$478 17.4%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 5.9% $28

Eating Out

New Bedford, MA

$277 10.1%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 24% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Bedford, MA

$277 10.1%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 16.5% $46

Clothing & Footwear

New Bedford, MA

$69 * 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 132% $92

Sport & Entertainment

New Bedford, MA

$54 2%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 66.5% $36

Getting Around

New Bedford, MA

$17 * 0.6%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 456% $78

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,869 in New Bedford, MA 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 5% 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 $59.0 in New Bedford, MA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $478 in New Bedford, MA vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New Bedford, MA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

00:36 12:36 AM

23:36 11:36 PM

1 h behind New Bedford, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,538

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New Bedford, MA Chicago, IL 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

New Bedford, MA
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

New Bedford, MA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,753 in New Bedford, MA, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,130 per month in New Bedford, MA 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 New Bedford, MA, 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 $59.0 in New Bedford, MA 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 6% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,753 in New Bedford, MA 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 $2,753 in New Bedford, MA to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with New Bedford, MA. 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.