Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Piscataway, NJ and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,219 in Piscataway, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Piscataway, NJ outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

156

Cost of Living Index in Piscataway, NJ
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Piscataway, NJ Living Index
147

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

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Piscataway, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,219

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,219 per month in Piscataway, NJ vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Piscataway, NJ $3,219
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,561 per month in Piscataway, NJ vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Piscataway, NJ $4,561
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,903 per month in Piscataway, NJ vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Piscataway, NJ $5,903
Chicago, IL $5,999

Piscataway, NJ costs about 6% more than Chicago, IL.

Both Piscataway, NJ and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Piscataway, NJ by 137%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.85 $14.85

$20.71 $20.71

-28.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 $79.4

$89.2 $89.2

-11.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 $13.26

$13.19 $13.19

0.53%

Cappuccino

$4.41 $4.41

$5.66 $5.66

-22.08%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$2.64 $2.64

-2.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.28 $2.28

-35.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 $5.84

$6.87 $6.87

-14.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$8.84 $8.84

-9.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.25 $1.25

5.60%

White Bread (500g)

$4.45 $4.45

$3.72 $3.72

19.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$5.39 $5.39

-37.85%

Eggs

$3.46 $3.46

$4.74 $4.74

-27.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 $10.88

$13.84 $13.84

-21.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.19 $10.19

$14.40 $14.40

-29.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$18.38 $18.38

-24.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$5.22 $5.22

-38.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.98 $1.98

-27.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$4.06 $4.06

-17.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$4.97 $4.97

-13.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.67 $2.67

-26.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.66 $2.66

-19.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.24 $2.24

-12.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$3.13 $3.13

-51.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.89 $14.89

$13.82 $13.82

7.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.11 $15.11

$14.88 $14.88

1.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.54 $2.54

-27.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.51 $3.51

-20.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.43 $2.43

-19.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.2 $54.2

$73.5 $73.5

-26.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.18 $3.18

-5.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.39 $1.39

60.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.17 $42.17

$25.03 $25.03

68.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.20 $1.20

-34.17%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.21%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.7K $26.7K

-3.75%

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

$170 $170

$194 $194

-12.70%

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

$50.8 $50.8

$69.5 $69.5

-26.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.25 $49.25

$61.6 $61.6

-20.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.31 $42.31

$47.90 $47.90

-11.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.68 $17.68

$17.81 $17.81

-0.73%

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

$1,985 $1,985

$1,794 $1,794

10.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$31.9K $31.9K

-49.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.81 $49.81

$67.0 $67.0

-25.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.51 $39.51

$52.1 $52.1

-24.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 $83.8

$102 $102

-17.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 $91.4

$144 $144

-36.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 $2,093

$2,526 $2,526

-17.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,053 $2,053

$1,578 $1,578

30.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,008 $4,008

$4,738 $4,738

-15.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,268 $3,268

$2,693 $2,693

21.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 $2,678

$4,190 $4,190

-36.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,390 $2,390

$2,768 $2,768

-13.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,565 $4,565

$4,931 $4,931

-7.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.81

-4.55%

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

Last update for Piscataway, NJ: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Piscataway, NJ

$2.1K 63.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 23.1% $475

Groceries & Markets

Piscataway, NJ

$351 10.9%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 27.5% $96

Eating Out

Piscataway, NJ

$273 8.5%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 26.4% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Piscataway, NJ

$270 8.4%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 20.7% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Piscataway, NJ

$119 3.7%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 37.8% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Piscataway, NJ

$78 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 7.5% $5.8

Getting Around

Piscataway, NJ

$76 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 22.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,093 in Piscataway, NJ 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 8% higher in Chicago, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Piscataway, NJ versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $447 – making Piscataway, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Piscataway, NJ

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

02:33 2:33 AM

01:33 1:33 AM

1 h behind Piscataway, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,658

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Piscataway, NJ Chicago, IL 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Piscataway, NJ
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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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,829 per month in Piscataway, NJ 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 Piscataway, NJ, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,093 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 22% cheaper in Piscataway, NJ – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Piscataway, NJ 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 $3,219 in Piscataway, NJ and $3,037 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 $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $3,219 in Piscataway, NJ. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.