Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Old Bridge and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Old Bridge: $2,472 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Old Bridge
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Old Bridge Living Index
152

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

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Old Bridge

🇺🇸 United States

$2,472

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,472 per month in Old Bridge vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Old Bridge $2,472
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,499 per month in Old Bridge vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Old Bridge $3,499
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,525 per month in Old Bridge vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Old Bridge $4,525
Chicago, IL $6,115

Old Bridge is about 21% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Old Bridge and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Old Bridge by 82%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.78 $16.78

$20.65 $20.65

-18.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.1 $65.1

$90.2 $90.2

-27.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 $8.07

$12.94 $12.94

-37.64%

Cappuccino

$3.06 $3.06

$5.60 $5.60

-45.36%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$2.64 $2.64

-2.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.27 $2.27

-35.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 $3.07

$6.98 $6.98

-56.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 $3.40

$8.83 $8.83

-61.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.27 $1.27

3.94%

White Bread (500g)

$4.39 $4.39

$3.80 $3.80

15.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.03 $6.03

$5.30 $5.30

13.77%

Eggs

$6.89 $6.89

$4.76 $4.76

44.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 $14.05

$13.96 $13.96

0.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.20 $10.20

$14.61 $14.61

-30.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.13 $20.13

$18.77 $18.77

7.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$5.19 $5.19

13.87%

Banana (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.98 $1.98

75.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$3.93 $3.93

8.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.96 $4.96

8.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.76 $2.76

13.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.76 $2.76

8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.22 $2.22

40.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.98 $2.98

3.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.69 $14.69

$14.02 $14.02

4.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 $15.27

$15.28 $15.28

-0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.58 $2.58

-30.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 $3.64

$3.50 $3.50

4.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.47 $2.47

-10.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.34 $3.34

-7.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.43 $1.43

49.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.45 $41.45

$24.32 $24.32

70.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.26 $1.26

-13.49%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.83%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.17%

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

$173 $173

$193 $193

-10.29%

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

$29.47 $29.47

$68.3 $68.3

-56.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.88 $45.88

$61.3 $61.3

-25.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.34 $45.34

$54.1 $54.1

-16.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$20.15 $20.15

$17.74 $17.74

13.59%

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

$1,996 $1,996

$1,652 $1,652

20.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$31.1K $31.1K

-47.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.93 $31.93

$66.1 $66.1

-51.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.58 $41.58

$51.2 $51.2

-18.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 $71.2

$100 $100

-28.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$141 $141

-28.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 $1,500

$2,446 $2,446

-38.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 $1,303

$1,678 $1,678

-22.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,785 $2,785

$4,717 $4,717

-40.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,897 $1,897

$2,795 $2,795

-32.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,812 $2,812

$4,105 $4,105

-31.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,446 $2,446

$2,650 $2,650

-7.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,024 $3,024

$4,866 $4,866

-37.85%

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 Old Bridge: 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

Old Bridge

$1.3K 52.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 28.7% $374

Groceries & Markets

Old Bridge

$468 18.9%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 4% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Old Bridge

$248 10%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 29.8% $74

Eating Out

Old Bridge

$234 9.5%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 47.1% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Old Bridge

$111 4.5%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 45.8% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Old Bridge

$86 3.5%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 4.6% $4

Getting Around

Old Bridge

$23 * 0.9%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 320% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,500 in Old Bridge 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 61% 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 $65.0 in Old Bridge versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $468 in Old Bridge vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Old Bridge

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

23:06 11:06 PM

22:06 10:06 PM

1 h behind Old Bridge

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,753

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

Old Bridge Chicago, IL 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Old Bridge
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

Old Bridge vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,472 in Old Bridge, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,709 per month in Old Bridge 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 Old Bridge, 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 $65.0 in Old Bridge 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 4% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Old Bridge, where all-in costs run around $2,472, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Old Bridge it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,472 in Old Bridge to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. 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 Old Bridge. 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.