Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Queensbury, NY: $2,486 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

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

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

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Queensbury, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,486

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,486 per month in Queensbury, NY vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Queensbury, NY $2,486
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,554 per month in Queensbury, NY vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Queensbury, NY $3,554
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $4,622 per month in Queensbury, NY vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Queensbury, NY $4,622
Chicago, IL $6,077

Queensbury, NY is about 22% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Queensbury, NY and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Queensbury, NY by 84%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 $15.75

$21.58 $21.58

-27.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.53 $32.53

$88.7 $88.7

-63.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.68 $7.68

$13.20 $13.20

-41.82%

Cappuccino

$5.25 $5.25

$5.59 $5.59

-6.08%

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

$2.89 $2.89

$2.63 $2.63

9.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.26 $2.26

9.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 $6.13

$7.11 $7.11

-13.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.02 $9.02

$9.23 $9.23

-2.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.28 $1.28

-26.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.81 $3.81

$3.84 $3.84

-0.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$5.07 $5.07

-13.02%

Eggs

$6.23 $6.23

$4.84 $4.84

28.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 $10.74

$14.17 $14.17

-24.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.55 $10.55

$14.61 $14.61

-27.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.43 $19.43

$18.76 $18.76

3.57%

Apples (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$5.19 $5.19

5.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.00 $2.00

-20.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$4.00 $4.00

-15.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$4.98 $4.98

-39.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.79 $2.79

-19.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.65 $2.65

-6.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.13 $2.13

24.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.09 $3.09

-4.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.33 $13.33

$16.05 $16.05

-16.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.33 $17.33

$15.20 $15.20

14.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.62 $2.62

-30.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.46 $3.46

-18.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.47 $2.47

-30.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 $5.85

$3.21 $3.21

82.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.39 $1.39

8.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.92 $27.92

$25.02 $25.02

11.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.24 $1.24

-12.10%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$37.2K $37.2K

-2.72%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$25.8K $25.8K

1.84%

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

$179 $179

$192 $192

-6.93%

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

$36.82 $36.82

$67.8 $67.8

-45.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 $59.7

$60.9 $60.9

-1.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.45 $45.45

$53.6 $53.6

-15.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$10.94 $10.94

$17.80 $17.80

-38.54%

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

$2,145 $2,145

$1,554 $1,554

37.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K $24.6K

$31.4K $31.4K

-21.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.78 $37.78

$67.9 $67.9

-44.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.17 $16.17

$50.8 $50.8

-68.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$101 $101

-0.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 $129

$143 $143

-9.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 $1,601

$2,383 $2,383

-32.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 $1,307

$1,712 $1,712

-23.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,492 $2,492

$4,674 $4,674

-46.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,192 $2,192

$2,738 $2,738

-19.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,543 $2,543

$4,158 $4,158

-38.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,521 $2,521

$2,691 $2,691

-6.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.77

-3.84%

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

Last update for Queensbury, NY: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Queensbury, NY

$1.3K 52.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 31% $405

Groceries & Markets

Queensbury, NY

$406 16.3%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 11.2% $45

Eating Out

Queensbury, NY

$282 11.4%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 25.1% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Queensbury, NY

$275 11.1%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 16.5% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Queensbury, NY

$128 5.1%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 28% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Queensbury, NY

$67 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 32.4% $22

Getting Around

Queensbury, NY

$20 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 368% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,601 in Queensbury, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Queensbury, NY versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $406 vs $451 – making Queensbury, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Queensbury, NY

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

11:45 11:45 AM

10:45 10:45 AM

1 h behind Queensbury, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,169

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

Queensbury, NY Chicago, IL 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Queensbury, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,486 in Queensbury, NY, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,728 per month in Queensbury, 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 Queensbury, 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 $33.00 in Queensbury, 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 11% 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.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,486 in Queensbury, NY and $3,185 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 $2,486 in Queensbury, NY to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Queensbury, 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.