Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,507 in New Rochelle, NY, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

170

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

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

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New Rochelle, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,507

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,507 per month in New Rochelle, NY vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

New Rochelle, NY $3,507
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $5,159 per month in New Rochelle, NY vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

New Rochelle, NY $5,159
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $6,811 per month in New Rochelle, NY vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

New Rochelle, NY $6,811
Chicago, IL $5,999

New Rochelle, NY costs about 15% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New Rochelle, NY and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – New Rochelle, NY by 158%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.97 $24.97

$20.71 $20.71

20.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 $79.9

$89.2 $89.2

-10.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.18 $13.18

$13.19 $13.19

-0.08%

Cappuccino

$6.26 $6.26

$5.66 $5.66

10.60%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$2.64 $2.64

-4.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.28 $2.28

-30.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 $7.91

$6.87 $6.87

15.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 $8.07

$8.84 $8.84

-8.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.25 $1.25

0.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.41 $4.41

$3.72 $3.72

18.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$5.39 $5.39

13.17%

Eggs

$5.99 $5.99

$4.74 $4.74

26.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.70 $12.70

$13.84 $13.84

-8.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.68 $11.68

$14.40 $14.40

-18.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.37 $17.37

$18.38 $18.38

-5.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.97 $5.97

$5.22 $5.22

14.37%

Banana (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.98 $1.98

80.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$4.06 $4.06

7.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$4.97 $4.97

8.65%

Potato (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$2.67 $2.67

108.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$2.66 $2.66

41.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.24 $2.24

27.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.13 $3.13

-2.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.61 $14.61

$13.82 $13.82

5.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 $17.78

$14.88 $14.88

19.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.54 $2.54

-28.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 $5.02

$3.51 $3.51

43.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.43 $2.43

11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$128 $128

$73.5 $73.5

73.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.18 $3.18

-6.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.39 $1.39

48.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.30 $24.30

$25.03 $25.03

-2.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.20 $1.20

-6.67%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$35.0K $35.0K

-22.61%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.7K $26.7K

-4.04%

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

$198 $198

$194 $194

1.81%

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

$59.0 $59.0

$69.5 $69.5

-15.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 $64.9

$61.6 $61.6

5.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.77 $34.77

$47.90 $47.90

-27.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.79 $19.79

$27.34 $27.34

-27.62%

Cinema Ticket

$17.76 $17.76

$17.81 $17.81

-0.28%

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

$2,010 $2,010

$1,794 $1,794

12.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K $15.8K

$31.9K $31.9K

-50.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.05 $42.05

$67.0 $67.0

-37.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.83 $35.83

$52.1 $52.1

-31.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 $75.3

$102 $102

-25.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$144 $144

-6.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,953 $2,953

$2,526 $2,526

16.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 $1,970

$1,578 $1,578

24.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,673 $4,673

$4,738 $4,738

-1.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,396 $3,396

$2,693 $2,693

26.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,455 $5,455

$4,190 $4,190

30.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,276 $3,276

$2,768 $2,768

18.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,594 $6,594

$4,931 $4,931

33.74%

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 New Rochelle, 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 Rochelle, NY

$2K 56.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 19.9% $392

Groceries & Markets

New Rochelle, NY

$476 13.6%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 6.1% $29

Eating Out

New Rochelle, NY

$387 11%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 10.8% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Rochelle, NY

$322 9.2%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 1.2% $3.7

Getting Around

New Rochelle, NY

$152 4.3%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 38.6% $59

Clothing & Footwear

New Rochelle, NY

$129 3.7%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 26.7% $35

Sport & Entertainment

New Rochelle, NY

$70 2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 18.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,953 in New Rochelle, 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.

Salaries run about 34% higher in New Rochelle, NY. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in New Rochelle, NY versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $476 in New Rochelle, NY vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New Rochelle, NY

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

15:33 3:33 PM

14:33 2:33 PM

1 h behind New Rochelle, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,726

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New Rochelle, NY Chicago, IL 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,507 in New Rochelle, NY, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,260 per month in New Rochelle, 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 Chicago, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,526 there versus $2,953 in New Rochelle, NY.

Groceries cost about 6% more in New Rochelle, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in New Rochelle, NY and $89 in Chicago, 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 $3,507 in New Rochelle, NY and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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