Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oneonta, NY and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Oneonta, NY: $2,072 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Oneonta, NY
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Oneonta, NY Living Index
153

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

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Oneonta, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,072

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,072 per month in Oneonta, NY vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Oneonta, NY $2,072
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $2,976 per month in Oneonta, NY vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Oneonta, NY $2,976
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $3,881 per month in Oneonta, NY vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Oneonta, NY $3,881
Chicago, IL $6,077

Oneonta, NY is about 35% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Oneonta, NY and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Oneonta, NY by 53%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.25 $17.25

$21.58 $21.58

-20.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 $55.9

$88.7 $88.7

-36.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.45 $6.45

$13.20 $13.20

-51.14%

Cappuccino

$4.05 $4.05

$5.59 $5.59

-27.55%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$2.63 $2.63

-3.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.26 $2.26

-11.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 $2.94

$7.11 $7.11

-58.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 $3.88

$9.23 $9.23

-57.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.28 $1.28

-29.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.84 $3.84

-22.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$5.07 $5.07

-75.94%

Eggs

$2.03 $2.03

$4.84 $4.84

-58.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 $11.10

$14.17 $14.17

-21.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.84 $7.84

$14.61 $14.61

-46.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.30 $10.30

$18.76 $18.76

-45.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$5.19 $5.19

-39.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$2.00 $2.00

-42.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$4.00 $4.00

-35.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$4.98 $4.98

-11.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.79 $2.79

-44.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.65 $2.65

-36.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.13 $2.13

-31.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$3.09 $3.09

-50.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.85 $10.85

$16.05 $16.05

-32.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.15 $14.15

$15.20 $15.20

-6.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.62 $2.62

16.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$3.46 $3.46

-55.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.47 $2.47

-21.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 $3.92

$3.21 $3.21

22.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.39 $1.39

58.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.10 $30.10

$25.02 $25.02

20.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.24 $1.24

-16.94%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$37.2K $37.2K

-28.02%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

-0.11%

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

$145 $145

$192 $192

-24.68%

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

$34.33 $34.33

$67.8 $67.8

-49.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.7 $75.7

$60.9 $60.9

24.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.74 $41.74

$53.6 $53.6

-22.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$11.99 $11.99

$17.80 $17.80

-32.64%

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

$1,702 $1,702

$1,554 $1,554

9.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K $17.4K

$31.4K $31.4K

-44.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.69 $41.69

$67.9 $67.9

-38.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.31 $39.31

$50.8 $50.8

-22.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 $73.9

$101 $101

-27.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.5 $80.5

$143 $143

-43.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 $1,119

$2,383 $2,383

-53.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 $1,087

$1,712 $1,712

-36.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,989 $1,989

$4,674 $4,674

-57.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,743 $1,743

$2,738 $2,738

-36.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,637 $1,637

$4,158 $4,158

-60.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,680 $1,680

$2,691 $2,691

-37.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,116 $4,116

$4,894 $4,894

-15.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.77

-1.48%

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

Last update for Oneonta, NY: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oneonta, NY

$1.1K 52.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 57.5% $625

Groceries & Markets

Oneonta, NY

$289 14%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 56.1% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oneonta, NY

$255 12.3%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 25.9% $66

Eating Out

Oneonta, NY

$247 11.9%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 43.1% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Oneonta, NY

$106 5.1%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 54.4% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Oneonta, NY

$66 3.2%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 35.7% $23

Getting Around

Oneonta, NY

$23 * 1.1%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 319% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,119 in Oneonta, NY 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 19% 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 $56.0 in Oneonta, NY versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $451 – making Oneonta, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Oneonta, NY

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

18:42 6:42 PM

17:42 5:42 PM

1 h behind Oneonta, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,000

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

Oneonta, NY Chicago, IL 1,040 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Oneonta, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,072 in Oneonta, NY, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 54% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,108 per month in Oneonta, NY 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 Oneonta, NY, 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 $56.0 in Oneonta, NY and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 56% 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.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Oneonta, NY, where all-in costs run around $2,072, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In Oneonta, NY 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 $2,072 in Oneonta, NY to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Oneonta, NY. 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.