Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth Amboy, NJ and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Perth Amboy, NJ: $2,684 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Perth Amboy, NJ
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Perth Amboy, NJ Living Index
152

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

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Perth Amboy, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,684

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,684 per month in Perth Amboy, NJ vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Perth Amboy, NJ $2,684
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,774 per month in Perth Amboy, NJ vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Perth Amboy, NJ $3,774
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,865 per month in Perth Amboy, NJ vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Perth Amboy, NJ $4,865
Chicago, IL $6,115

Perth Amboy, NJ is about 14% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Perth Amboy, NJ and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Perth Amboy, NJ by 98%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.32 $19.32

$20.65 $20.65

-6.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 $78.5

$90.2 $90.2

-13.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.14 $13.14

$12.94 $12.94

1.55%

Cappuccino

$6.28 $6.28

$5.60 $5.60

12.14%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$2.64 $2.64

-4.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.27 $2.27

-33.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.90 $8.90

$6.98 $6.98

27.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$8.83 $8.83

-19.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.27 $1.27

-10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.80 $3.80

-41.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$5.30 $5.30

16.23%

Eggs

$2.93 $2.93

$4.76 $4.76

-38.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 $13.68

$13.96 $13.96

-2.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 $10.45

$14.61 $14.61

-28.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.90 $19.90

$18.77 $18.77

6.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$5.19 $5.19

14.84%

Banana (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.98 $1.98

77.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.93 $3.93

10.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.96 $4.96

5.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$2.76 $2.76

-49.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$2.76 $2.76

-49.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.22 $2.22

-34.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.98 $2.98

0.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.80 $14.80

$14.02 $14.02

5.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.21 $12.21

$15.28 $15.28

-20.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.58 $2.58

-28.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.50 $3.50

3.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.47 $2.47

-26.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.34 $3.34

-8.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.43 $1.43

47.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.43 $42.43

$24.32 $24.32

74.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.26 $1.26

-17.46%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

-20.82%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$26.1K $26.1K

-2.11%

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

$170 $170

$193 $193

-11.60%

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

$24.07 $24.07

$68.3 $68.3

-64.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.71 $49.71

$61.3 $61.3

-18.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.11 $41.11

$54.1 $54.1

-24.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.68 $17.68

$17.74 $17.74

-0.34%

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

$2,026 $2,026

$1,652 $1,652

22.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$31.1K $31.1K

-47.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.62 $33.62

$66.1 $66.1

-49.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.44 $40.44

$51.2 $51.2

-21.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 $77.1

$100 $100

-22.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 $96.4

$141 $141

-31.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,617 $1,617

$2,446 $2,446

-33.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 $1,480

$1,678 $1,678

-11.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,211 $2,211

$4,717 $4,717

-53.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 $2,137

$2,795 $2,795

-23.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,753 $2,753

$4,105 $4,105

-32.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,425 $2,425

$2,650 $2,650

-8.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,323 $3,323

$4,866 $4,866

-31.71%

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 Perth Amboy, NJ: 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

Perth Amboy, NJ

$1.5K 55.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 13.3% $198

Groceries & Markets

Perth Amboy, NJ

$407 15.2%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 10.4% $42

Eating Out

Perth Amboy, NJ

$344 12.8%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 0.2% $0.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth Amboy, NJ

$244 9.1%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 32% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Perth Amboy, NJ

$111 4.2%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 44.7% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Perth Amboy, NJ

$76 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 17.2% $13

Getting Around

Perth Amboy, NJ

$21 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 357% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,617 in Perth Amboy, NJ 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 46% 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 $78.0 in Perth Amboy, NJ versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $407 vs $449 – making Perth Amboy, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Perth Amboy, NJ

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

23:07 11:07 PM

22:07 10:07 PM

1 h behind Perth Amboy, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

48,607

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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Between locations

Perth Amboy, NJ Chicago, IL 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Perth Amboy, NJ
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

Perth Amboy, NJ vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,684 in Perth Amboy, NJ, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 17% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,026 per month in Perth Amboy, NJ 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 Perth Amboy, NJ, 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 $78.0 in Perth Amboy, NJ and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,684 in Perth Amboy, NJ and $3,139 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 $2,684 in Perth Amboy, NJ to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Perth Amboy, NJ. 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.