Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saratoga Springs, NY and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Saratoga Springs, NY: $2,906 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

141

Cost of Living Index in Saratoga Springs, NY
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Saratoga Springs, NY Living Index
153

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

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Saratoga Springs, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,906

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,906 per month in Saratoga Springs, NY vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Saratoga Springs, NY $2,906
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $4,031 per month in Saratoga Springs, NY vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Saratoga Springs, NY $4,031
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $5,156 per month in Saratoga Springs, NY vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Saratoga Springs, NY $5,156
Chicago, IL $6,077

Saratoga Springs, NY is about 9% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Saratoga Springs, NY and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Saratoga Springs, NY by 115%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.10 $18.10

$21.58 $21.58

-16.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.4 $78.4

$88.7 $88.7

-11.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 $8.12

$13.20 $13.20

-38.48%

Cappuccino

$5.29 $5.29

$5.59 $5.59

-5.37%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$2.63 $2.63

-0.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.26 $2.26

-19.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 $6.42

$7.11 $7.11

-9.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.62 $7.62

$9.23 $9.23

-17.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.28 $1.28

-28.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.84 $3.84

-11.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$5.07 $5.07

-13.02%

Eggs

$4.06 $4.06

$4.84 $4.84

-16.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 $11.00

$14.17 $14.17

-22.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.59 $13.59

$14.61 $14.61

-6.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.03 $18.03

$18.76 $18.76

-3.89%

Apples (1kg)

$6.49 $6.49

$5.19 $5.19

25.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$2.00 $2.00

-32.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.00 $4.00

29.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.98 $4.98

37.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.79 $2.79

7.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.65 $2.65

23.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.13 $2.13

9.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.09 $3.09

-14.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.85 $12.85

$16.05 $16.05

-19.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.11 $15.11

$15.20 $15.20

-0.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.62 $2.62

11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 $4.81

$3.46 $3.46

39.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 $3.98

$3.21 $3.21

23.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.39 $1.39

58.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.52 $29.52

$25.02 $25.02

17.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.24 $1.24

-27.42%

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

$33.7K $33.7K

$37.2K $37.2K

-9.38%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$25.8K $25.8K

-3.72%

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

$230 $230

$192 $192

19.67%

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

$53.1 $53.1

$67.8 $67.8

-21.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.4 $57.4

$60.9 $60.9

-5.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 $60.7

$53.6 $53.6

13.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.22 $20.22

$27.90 $27.90

-27.53%

Cinema Ticket

$14.98 $14.98

$17.80 $17.80

-15.84%

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

$1,425 $1,425

$1,554 $1,554

-8.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K $17.7K

$31.4K $31.4K

-43.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 $54.2

$67.9 $67.9

-20.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.93 $48.93

$50.8 $50.8

-3.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 $95.3

$101 $101

-6.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$143 $143

-29.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,548 $2,548

$2,383 $2,383

6.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 $1,588

$1,712 $1,712

-7.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,008 $3,008

$4,674 $4,674

-35.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,236 $2,236

$2,738 $2,738

-18.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,930 $4,930

$4,894 $4,894

0.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.77

-1.62%

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

Last update for Saratoga Springs, NY: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saratoga Springs, NY

$1.6K 54.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 7.8% $124

Groceries & Markets

Saratoga Springs, NY

$439 15.1%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 2.9% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saratoga Springs, NY

$341 11.7%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 5.8% $20

Eating Out

Saratoga Springs, NY

$298 10.3%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 18.5% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Saratoga Springs, NY

$135 4.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 21.4% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Saratoga Springs, NY

$91 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 1.7% $1.5

Getting Around

Saratoga Springs, NY

$15 * 0.5%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 535% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,548 in Saratoga Springs, 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.

Salaries run about 1% higher in Saratoga Springs, NY, 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 $78.0 in Saratoga Springs, NY versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $451 – making Saratoga Springs, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saratoga Springs, NY

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

04:50 4:50 AM

03:50 3:50 AM

1 h behind Saratoga Springs, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,491

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Saratoga Springs, NY Chicago, IL 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Saratoga Springs, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,906 in Saratoga Springs, NY, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,358 per month in Saratoga Springs, 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 Saratoga Springs, 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 $78.0 in Saratoga Springs, 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 3% 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 $2,906 in Saratoga Springs, 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 $2,906 in Saratoga Springs, 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 Saratoga Springs, 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.