Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Jefferson Station, NY and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Jefferson Station, NY: $2,833 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

133

Cost of Living Index in Port Jefferson Station, NY
Learn more

Port Jefferson Station, NY Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Port Jefferson Station, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,833

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,833 per month in Port Jefferson Station, NY vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Port Jefferson Station, NY $2,833
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,012 per month in Port Jefferson Station, NY vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Port Jefferson Station, NY $4,012
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,192 per month in Port Jefferson Station, NY vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Port Jefferson Station, NY $5,192
Chicago, IL $5,999

Port Jefferson Station, NY is about 7% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Port Jefferson Station, NY and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Port Jefferson Station, NY by 108%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.68 $24.68

$20.71 $20.71

19.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.9 $97.9

$89.2 $89.2

9.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 $8.06

$13.19 $13.19

-38.89%

Cappuccino

$4.93 $4.93

$5.66 $5.66

-12.90%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$2.64 $2.64

-17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.28 $2.28

-29.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$6.87 $6.87

17.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 $7.85

$8.84 $8.84

-11.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.25 $1.25

5.60%

White Bread (500g)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.72 $3.72

17.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.51 $7.51

$5.39 $5.39

39.33%

Eggs

$5.90 $5.90

$4.74 $4.74

24.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.54 $12.54

$13.84 $13.84

-9.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.94 $11.94

$14.40 $14.40

-17.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.04 $17.04

$18.38 $18.38

-7.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$5.22 $5.22

0.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.98 $1.98

-13.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.25 $6.25

$4.06 $4.06

53.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.97 $4.97

22.13%

Potato (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$2.67 $2.67

105.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.66 $2.66

43.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.24 $2.24

24.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.13 $3.13

-10.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.50 $11.50

$13.82 $13.82

-16.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.78 $24.78

$14.88 $14.88

66.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.54 $2.54

-31.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 $5.27

$3.51 $3.51

50.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.43 $2.43

-15.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.7 $64.7

$73.5 $73.5

-12.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.18 $3.18

-7.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.39 $1.39

45.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.14 $24.14

$25.03 $25.03

-3.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.20 $1.20

-10.83%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$35.0K $35.0K

-20.09%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.66%

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

$196 $196

$194 $194

0.82%

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

$73.7 $73.7

$69.5 $69.5

6.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 $64.8

$61.6 $61.6

5.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.56 $40.56

$47.90 $47.90

-15.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$14.58 $14.58

$17.81 $17.81

-18.14%

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

$2,443 $2,443

$1,794 $1,794

36.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$31.9K $31.9K

-26.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.74 $40.74

$67.0 $67.0

-39.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 $57.0

$52.1 $52.1

9.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 $75.1

$102 $102

-25.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 $156

$144 $144

8.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 $1,558

$2,526 $2,526

-38.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 $1,354

$1,578 $1,578

-14.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,460 $2,460

$4,738 $4,738

-48.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,825 $1,825

$2,693 $2,693

-32.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 $2,681

$4,190 $4,190

-36.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,265 $2,265

$2,768 $2,768

-18.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.81

-0.88%

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

Last update for Port Jefferson Station, NY: 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

Port Jefferson Station, NY

$1.4K 47.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 16.5% $224

Groceries & Markets

Port Jefferson Station, NY

$489 17.3%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 8.4% $41

Eating Out

Port Jefferson Station, NY

$352 12.4%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 2% $7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Jefferson Station, NY

$334 11.8%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 2.7% $8.9

Clothing & Footwear

Port Jefferson Station, NY

$148 5.2%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 10.8% $16

Getting Around

Port Jefferson Station, NY

$86 3%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 8.6% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Port Jefferson Station, NY

$70 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 19.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,558 in Port Jefferson Station, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98 in Port Jefferson Station, NY versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $489 vs $447 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Port Jefferson Station, NY

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

09:21 9:21 AM

08:21 8:21 AM

1 h behind Port Jefferson Station, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Port Jefferson Station, NY Chicago, IL 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Jefferson Station, 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

Port Jefferson Station, NY vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,833 in Port Jefferson Station, NY, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,249 per month in Port Jefferson Station, 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 Port Jefferson Station, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,558 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98 in Port Jefferson Station, NY and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,833 in Port Jefferson Station, NY 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 $2,833 in Port Jefferson Station, NY to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.