Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Paltz, NY and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in New Paltz, NY: $2,667 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in New Paltz, NY
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New Paltz, NY Living Index
147

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

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New Paltz, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,667

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,667 per month in New Paltz, NY vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

New Paltz, NY $2,667
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,914 per month in New Paltz, NY vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

New Paltz, NY $3,914
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,160 per month in New Paltz, NY vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

New Paltz, NY $5,160
Chicago, IL $5,999

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

Both New Paltz, NY and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – New Paltz, NY by 96%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.24 $19.24

$20.71 $20.71

-7.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.4 $78.4

$89.2 $89.2

-12.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.25 $13.25

$13.19 $13.19

0.45%

Cappuccino

$6.21 $6.21

$5.66 $5.66

9.72%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$2.64 $2.64

-5.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.28 $2.28

-32.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.93 $8.93

$6.87 $6.87

29.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.98 $6.98

$8.84 $8.84

-21.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.25 $1.25

4.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.72 $3.72

17.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.15 $6.15

$5.39 $5.39

14.10%

Eggs

$6.96 $6.96

$4.74 $4.74

46.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.12 $14.12

$13.84 $13.84

2.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.16 $10.16

$14.40 $14.40

-29.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.60 $19.60

$18.38 $18.38

6.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$5.22 $5.22

12.45%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.98 $1.98

81.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$4.06 $4.06

8.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$4.97 $4.97

7.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.67 $2.67

14.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.66 $2.66

13.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.24 $2.24

40.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.13 $3.13

-6.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.75 $14.75

$13.82 $13.82

6.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 $14.91

$14.88 $14.88

0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.54 $2.54

-26.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.51 $3.51

-0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.43 $2.43

-20.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 $60.7

$73.5 $73.5

-17.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.18 $3.18

-3.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.39 $1.39

58.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.40 $42.40

$25.03 $25.03

69.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.20 $1.20

-16.67%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$35.0K $35.0K

-20.36%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.49%

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

$173 $173

$194 $194

-11.06%

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

$51.2 $51.2

$69.5 $69.5

-26.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 $51.0

$61.6 $61.6

-17.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.21 $41.21

$47.90 $47.90

-13.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$8.98 $8.98

$17.81 $17.81

-49.58%

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

$1,991 $1,991

$1,794 $1,794

10.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$31.9K $31.9K

-50.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 $50.4

$67.0 $67.0

-24.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.69 $41.69

$52.1 $52.1

-20.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$102 $102

-15.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$144 $144

-27.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 $1,412

$2,526 $2,526

-44.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,315 $1,315

$1,578 $1,578

-16.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,509 $2,509

$4,738 $4,738

-47.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,113 $2,113

$2,693 $2,693

-21.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,731 $2,731

$4,190 $4,190

-34.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,400 $2,400

$2,768 $2,768

-13.28%

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 New Paltz, NY: 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

New Paltz, NY

$1.3K 49.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 20% $263

Groceries & Markets

New Paltz, NY

$466 17.5%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 3.9% $18

Eating Out

New Paltz, NY

$343 12.9%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 0.6% $2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Paltz, NY

$275 10.3%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 18.3% $50

Clothing & Footwear

New Paltz, NY

$127 4.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 29.4% $37

Getting Around

New Paltz, NY

$83 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 13% $11

Sport & Entertainment

New Paltz, NY

$59 2.2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 41.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,412 in New Paltz, NY 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 $78 in New Paltz, NY versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $466 in New Paltz, NY vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New Paltz, NY

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

00:04 12:04 AM

23:04 11:04 PM

1 h behind New Paltz, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,407

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New Paltz, NY Chicago, IL 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

New Paltz, 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

New Paltz, NY vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,667 in New Paltz, NY, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – New Paltz, NY comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,001 per month in New Paltz, NY 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 New Paltz, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,412 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in New Paltz, NY and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,667 in New Paltz, NY 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 $2,667 in New Paltz, NY to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.