Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Plattsburgh, NY: $2,188 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Plattsburgh, NY
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Plattsburgh, NY Living Index
147

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

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Plattsburgh, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,188

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,188 per month in Plattsburgh, NY vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Plattsburgh, NY $2,188
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,565 per month in Plattsburgh, NY vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Plattsburgh, NY $3,565
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,943 per month in Plattsburgh, NY vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Plattsburgh, NY $4,943
Chicago, IL $5,999

Plattsburgh, NY is about 28% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Plattsburgh, NY and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Plattsburgh, NY by 61%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.21 $27.21

$20.71 $20.71

31.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$89.2 $89.2

13.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.77 $14.77

$13.19 $13.19

11.98%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.66 $5.66

16.61%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$2.64 $2.64

-2.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.28 $2.28

-11.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 $6.01

$6.87 $6.87

-12.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.60 $10.60

$8.84 $8.84

19.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.25 $1.25

-19.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.72 $3.72

-10.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.20 $7.20

$5.39 $5.39

33.58%

Eggs

$3.98 $3.98

$4.74 $4.74

-16.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.72 $12.72

$13.84 $13.84

-8.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.40 $12.40

$14.40 $14.40

-13.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.89 $14.89

$18.38 $18.38

-18.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.22 $5.22

-4.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.98 $1.98

-36.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.06 $4.06

32.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$4.97 $4.97

-7.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$2.67 $2.67

19.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.66 $2.66

20.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.24 $2.24

-29.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.13 $3.13

-37.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.06 $12.06

$13.82 $13.82

-12.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.13 $14.13

$14.88 $14.88

-5.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.54 $2.54

-18.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.51 $3.51

-43.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.43 $2.43

-16.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.2 $98.2

$73.5 $73.5

33.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 $4.53

$3.18 $3.18

42.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.39 $1.39

-47.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.81 $17.81

$25.03 $25.03

-28.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.20 $1.20

-6.67%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$35.0K $35.0K

-20.62%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.59%

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

$207 $207

$194 $194

6.59%

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

$70.2 $70.2

$69.5 $69.5

1.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.7 $87.7

$61.6 $61.6

42.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.29 $39.29

$47.90 $47.90

-17.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.22 $12.22

$17.81 $17.81

-31.39%

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

$1,520 $1,520

$1,794 $1,794

-15.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,308 $7,308

$31.9K $31.9K

-77.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.74 $42.74

$67.0 $67.0

-36.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.25 $32.25

$52.1 $52.1

-38.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 $74.0

$102 $102

-27.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$144 $144

-30.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$883 $883

$2,526 $2,526

-65.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 $723

$1,578 $1,578

-54.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 $2,004

$4,738 $4,738

-57.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,643 $1,643

$2,693 $2,693

-38.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,627 $1,627

$4,190 $4,190

-61.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,623 $1,623

$2,768 $2,768

-41.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,348 $3,348

$4,931 $4,931

-32.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

6.81

-19.24%

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

Last update for Plattsburgh, NY: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Plattsburgh, NY

$723 33%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 118% $855

Eating Out

Plattsburgh, NY

$411 18.8%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 16.1% $66

Groceries & Markets

Plattsburgh, NY

$398 18.2%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 12.3% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plattsburgh, NY

$365 16.7%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 10.8% $40

Getting Around

Plattsburgh, NY

$115 5.2%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 18.5% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Plattsburgh, NY

$112 5.1%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 46% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Plattsburgh, NY

$64 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 31.1% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $883 in Plattsburgh, NY 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 47% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Plattsburgh, NY versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $398 in Plattsburgh, NY vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Plattsburgh, NY wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Plattsburgh, NY

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

21:31 9:31 PM

20:31 8:31 PM

1 h behind Plattsburgh, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,841

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Plattsburgh, NY Chicago, IL 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Plattsburgh, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,188 in Plattsburgh, NY, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Plattsburgh, NY comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,281 per month in Plattsburgh, NY 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 Plattsburgh, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $883 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Plattsburgh, NY and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Plattsburgh, NY, where all-in costs run around $2,188, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Plattsburgh, NY it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Plattsburgh, NY – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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