Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Castle, DE and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in New Castle, DE: $2,608 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in New Castle, DE
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New Castle, DE Living Index
152

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

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New Castle, DE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,608

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,608 per month in New Castle, DE vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

New Castle, DE $2,608
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,741 per month in New Castle, DE vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

New Castle, DE $3,741
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,873 per month in New Castle, DE vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

New Castle, DE $4,873
Chicago, IL $6,115

New Castle, DE is about 17% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New Castle, DE and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – New Castle, DE by 93%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.86 $17.86

$20.65 $20.65

-13.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.6 $90.6

$90.2 $90.2

0.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 $10.62

$12.94 $12.94

-17.93%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$5.60 $5.60

-3.75%

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

$3.05 $3.05

$2.64 $2.64

15.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.27 $2.27

-12.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 $7.19

$6.98 $6.98

3.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.96 $7.96

$8.83 $8.83

-9.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.27 $1.27

-12.60%

White Bread (500g)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.80 $3.80

7.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$5.30 $5.30

-23.77%

Eggs

$4.94 $4.94

$4.76 $4.76

3.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.05 $13.05

$13.96 $13.96

-6.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.04 $13.04

$14.61 $14.61

-10.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.16 $18.16

$18.77 $18.77

-3.25%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$5.19 $5.19

16.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.98 $1.98

-24.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$3.93 $3.93

47.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$4.96 $4.96

-2.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.76 $2.76

-1.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.76 $2.76

5.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.22 $2.22

10.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.98 $2.98

-24.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.22 $13.22

$14.02 $14.02

-5.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.69 $15.69

$15.28 $15.28

2.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.58 $2.58

2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 $3.83

$3.50 $3.50

9.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.47 $2.47

-29.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.77 $1.77

$3.34 $3.34

-47.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.43 $1.43

-2.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.57 $23.57

$24.32 $24.32

-3.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.26 $1.26

-15.08%

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

$33.6K $33.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-4.03%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.1K $26.1K

0.55%

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

$215 $215

$193 $193

11.76%

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

$66.6 $66.6

$68.3 $68.3

-2.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$61.3 $61.3

15.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.62 $41.62

$54.1 $54.1

-23.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$14.72 $14.72

$17.74 $17.74

-17.02%

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

$1,982 $1,982

$1,652 $1,652

19.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K $34.8K

$31.1K $31.1K

12.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 $51.8

$66.1 $66.1

-21.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.2 $64.2

$51.2 $51.2

25.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 $91.8

$100 $100

-8.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$141 $141

-22.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,418 $1,418

$2,446 $2,446

-42.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 $1,278

$1,678 $1,678

-23.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,133 $2,133

$4,717 $4,717

-54.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 $1,881

$2,795 $2,795

-32.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,808 $2,808

$4,105 $4,105

-31.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,311 $2,311

$2,650 $2,650

-12.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.81

-1.32%

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

Last update for New Castle, DE: October 18, 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 Castle, DE

$1.3K 49%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 31.3% $400

Groceries & Markets

New Castle, DE

$437 16.7%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Castle, DE

$353 13.5%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 8.6% $30

Eating Out

New Castle, DE

$311 11.9%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 10.3% $32

Clothing & Footwear

New Castle, DE

$143 5.5%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 12.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

New Castle, DE

$71 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 26.1% $19

Getting Around

New Castle, DE

$16 * 0.6%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 509% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,418 in New Castle, DE 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in New Castle, DE versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $437 in New Castle, DE vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so New Castle, DE wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New Castle, DE

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

20:23 8:23 PM

1 h behind New Castle, DE

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,926

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 Castle, DE Chicago, IL 1,040 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New Castle, DE
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 Castle, DE vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,608 in New Castle, DE, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 20% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,913 per month in New Castle, DE 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 Castle, DE, 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 $91.0 in New Castle, DE and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,608 in New Castle, DE 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 $2,608 in New Castle, DE to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with New Castle, DE. 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.