Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Watertown, NY: $2,011 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Watertown, NY
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Watertown, NY Living Index
146

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

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Watertown, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,011

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,011 per month in Watertown, NY vs $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Watertown, NY $2,011
Chicago, IL $3,072

A couple spends around $3,039 per month in Watertown, NY vs $4,545 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Watertown, NY $3,039
Chicago, IL $4,545

A family of three spends $4,066 per month in Watertown, NY vs $6,019 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Watertown, NY $4,066
Chicago, IL $6,019

Watertown, NY is about 35% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Watertown, NY and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Watertown, NY by 49%, Chicago, IL by 127%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.52 $13.52

$20.39 $20.39

-33.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 $64.6

$88.6 $88.6

-27.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.13 $12.13

$12.85 $12.85

-5.60%

Cappuccino

$3.92 $3.92

$5.78 $5.78

-32.18%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$2.74 $2.74

-6.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.26 $2.26

-2.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 $4.95

$6.88 $6.88

-28.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 $7.15

$9.24 $9.24

-22.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.26 $1.26

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.55 $3.55

-25.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$5.38 $5.38

5.02%

Eggs

$3.11 $3.11

$4.55 $4.55

-31.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.02 $13.02

$13.65 $13.65

-4.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$14.07 $14.07

-68.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.75 $15.75

$18.06 $18.06

-12.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$5.16 $5.16

-32.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.98 $1.98

-25.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$3.88 $3.88

-44.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$4.83 $4.83

6.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.81 $2.81

-3.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.67 $2.67

11.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.07 $2.07

-52.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 $0.48

$3.03 $3.03

-84.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.14 $14.14

$13.90 $13.90

1.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 $8.89

$15.05 $15.05

-40.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.63 $2.63

-40.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.45 $3.45

-41.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 $5.15

$3.17 $3.17

62.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.70 $1.70

35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.20 $45.20

$24.90 $24.90

81.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.28 $1.28

-26.56%

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

$33.5K $33.5K

$35.8K $35.8K

-6.38%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.13%

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

$187 $187

$192 $192

-2.72%

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

$52.8 $52.8

$69.6 $69.6

-24.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 $66.0

$62.2 $62.2

6.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.53 $36.53

$47.79 $47.79

-23.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$11.04 $11.04

$17.83 $17.83

-38.08%

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

$1,284 $1,284

$1,815 $1,815

-29.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.2K $25.2K

$40.6K $40.6K

-37.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.14 $30.14

$66.2 $66.2

-54.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.01 $45.01

$51.4 $51.4

-12.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 $91.8

$103 $103

-11.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$143 $143

-28.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 $1,158

$2,531 $2,531

-54.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$967 $967

$1,621 $1,621

-40.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 $1,600

$4,828 $4,828

-66.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,790 $1,790

$2,734 $2,734

-34.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,640 $1,640

$4,163 $4,163

-60.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,592 $1,592

$2,723 $2,723

-41.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,425 $3,425

$4,924 $4,924

-30.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

6.78

-3.83%

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

Last update for Watertown, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Watertown, NY

$967 48.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8% 67.6% $654

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Watertown, NY

$306 15.2%

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5% 5.9% $18

Groceries & Markets

Watertown, NY

$293 14.5%

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3% 50.1% $147

Eating Out

Watertown, NY

$250 12.4%

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2% 37.8% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Watertown, NY

$121 6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3% 35.3% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Watertown, NY

$59 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7% 42.4% $25

Getting Around

Watertown, NY

$17 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2% 481% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,158 in Watertown, NY versus $2,531 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 44% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Watertown, NY versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $439 – making Watertown, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Watertown, NY

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

20:45 8:45 PM

19:45 7:45 PM

1 h behind Watertown, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,915

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Watertown, NY Chicago, IL 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Watertown, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,011 in Watertown, NY, $3,072 in Chicago, IL – Watertown, NY comes out roughly 35% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,017 per month in Watertown, NY and $4,608 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Watertown, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,158 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Watertown, NY and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,011 in Watertown, NY and $3,072 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Watertown, 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 Watertown, 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.