Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newton, MA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,185 a month against $3,476 in Newton, MA, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

170

Cost of Living Index in Newton, MA
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Newton, MA Living Index
153

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

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Newton, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,476

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,476 per month in Newton, MA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Newton, MA $3,476
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $5,888 per month in Newton, MA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Newton, MA $5,888
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $8,301 per month in Newton, MA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Newton, MA $8,301
Chicago, IL $6,077

Newton, MA costs about 9% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Newton, MA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Newton, MA by 157%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.85 $29.85

$21.58 $21.58

38.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$88.7 $88.7

33.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 $11.82

$13.20 $13.20

-10.45%

Cappuccino

$6.16 $6.16

$5.59 $5.59

10.20%

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

$3.13 $3.13

$2.63 $2.63

19.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.26 $2.26

1.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 $7.93

$7.11 $7.11

11.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$9.23 $9.23

-11.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.28 $1.28

-9.38%

White Bread (500g)

$4.76 $4.76

$3.84 $3.84

23.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.24 $7.24

$5.07 $5.07

42.80%

Eggs

$4.44 $4.44

$4.84 $4.84

-8.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.35 $19.35

$14.17 $14.17

36.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.96 $10.96

$14.61 $14.61

-24.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.25 $16.25

$18.76 $18.76

-13.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.19 $5.19

-1.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.00 $2.00

-18.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$4.00 $4.00

35.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.93 $6.93

$4.98 $4.98

39.16%

Potato (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.79 $2.79

60.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.65 $2.65

46.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.13 $2.13

39.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$3.09 $3.09

-15.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.51 $12.51

$16.05 $16.05

-22.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.96 $15.96

$15.20 $15.20

5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.62 $2.62

-27.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.46 $3.46

-27.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.47 $2.47

-4.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.1 $89.1

$75.1 $75.1

18.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.21 $3.21

-38.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.39 $1.39

9.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.15 $11.15

$25.02 $25.02

-55.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.24 $1.24

-16.13%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$37.2K $37.2K

-3.04%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$25.8K $25.8K

-1.58%

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

$247 $247

$192 $192

28.28%

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

$54.1 $54.1

$67.8 $67.8

-20.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.4 $77.4

$60.9 $60.9

27.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.3 $66.3

$53.6 $53.6

23.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$16.13 $16.13

$17.80 $17.80

-9.38%

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

$2,850 $2,850

$1,554 $1,554

83.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.4K $36.4K

$31.4K $31.4K

16.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.9 $76.9

$67.9 $67.9

13.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 $50.3

$50.8 $50.8

-1.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$101 $101

11.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$143 $143

-6.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 $1,841

$2,383 $2,383

-22.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 $1,827

$1,712 $1,712

6.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,208 $5,208

$4,674 $4,674

11.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,541 $4,541

$2,738 $2,738

65.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,991 $5,991

$4,158 $4,158

44.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,460 $5,460

$2,691 $2,691

102.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,869 $7,869

$4,894 $4,894

60.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.77

-1.62%

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

Last update for Newton, MA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Newton, MA

$1.8K 52.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 6.3% $115

Groceries & Markets

Newton, MA

$470 13.5%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 4% $19

Eating Out

Newton, MA

$426 12.3%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 17.1% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newton, MA

$378 10.9%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 15.1% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Newton, MA

$168 4.9%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 2.9% $4.9

Getting Around

Newton, MA

$108 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 12% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Newton, MA

$99 2.8%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 9.5% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,841 in Newton, MA versus $2,383 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 61% higher in Newton, MA, 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 $118 in Newton, MA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $470 vs $451 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Newton, MA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

03:32 3:32 AM

1 h behind Newton, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,146

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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Highest

Between locations

Newton, MA Chicago, IL 1,350 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Newton, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,476 in Newton, MA, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,214 per month in Newton, MA and $4,777 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Newton, MA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in Newton, MA and $89.0 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 $3,476 in Newton, MA and $3,185 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 $3,185 in Chicago, IL to $3,476 in Newton, MA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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