Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between West Caldwell, NJ and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in West Caldwell, NJ: $2,828 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in West Caldwell, NJ
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West Caldwell, NJ Living Index
152

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

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West Caldwell, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,828

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,828 per month in West Caldwell, NJ vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

West Caldwell, NJ $2,828
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,976 per month in West Caldwell, NJ vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

West Caldwell, NJ $3,976
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,123 per month in West Caldwell, NJ vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

West Caldwell, NJ $5,123
Chicago, IL $6,115

West Caldwell, NJ is about 10% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both West Caldwell, NJ and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – West Caldwell, NJ by 109%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.87 $21.87

$20.65 $20.65

5.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 $79.2

$90.2 $90.2

-12.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.69 $12.69

$12.94 $12.94

-1.93%

Cappuccino

$5.29 $5.29

$5.60 $5.60

-5.54%

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

$3.00 $3.00

$2.64 $2.64

13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.27 $2.27

1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 $5.83

$6.98 $6.98

-16.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 $7.85

$8.83 $8.83

-11.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.27 $1.27

10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$4.42 $4.42

$3.80 $3.80

16.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.20 $7.20

$5.30 $5.30

35.85%

Eggs

$5.10 $5.10

$4.76 $4.76

7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.32 $12.32

$13.96 $13.96

-11.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.94 $12.94

$14.61 $14.61

-11.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.08 $18.08

$18.77 $18.77

-3.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$5.19 $5.19

4.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.98 $1.98

-22.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$3.93 $3.93

28.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.96 $4.96

6.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.76 $2.76

3.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.76 $2.76

11.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.22 $2.22

12.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.98 $2.98

-18.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.02 $12.02

$14.02 $14.02

-14.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$15.28 $15.28

0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.58 $2.58

-6.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.50 $3.50

26.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.47 $2.47

-7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.34 $3.34

-18.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.43 $1.43

7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.39 $24.39

$24.32 $24.32

0.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.26 $1.26

-12.70%

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

$31.4K $31.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-10.41%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

-1.21%

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

$217 $217

$193 $193

12.76%

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

$63.1 $63.1

$68.3 $68.3

-7.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.3 $65.3

$61.3 $61.3

6.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.56 $38.56

$54.1 $54.1

-28.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$15.60 $15.60

$17.74 $17.74

-12.06%

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

$2,198 $2,198

$1,652 $1,652

33.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.8K $42.8K

$31.1K $31.1K

37.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.95 $47.95

$66.1 $66.1

-27.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.46 $47.46

$51.2 $51.2

-7.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$100 $100

3.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$141 $141

-1.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,626 $1,626

$2,446 $2,446

-33.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,447 $1,447

$1,678 $1,678

-13.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,196 $2,196

$4,717 $4,717

-53.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 $2,075

$2,795 $2,795

-25.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,488 $2,488

$4,105 $4,105

-39.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$2,650 $2,650

-6.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,996 $2,996

$4,866 $4,866

-38.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.81

-2.79%

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

Last update for West Caldwell, NJ: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

West Caldwell, NJ

$1.4K 51.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 15.9% $230

Groceries & Markets

West Caldwell, NJ

$451 16%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 0.4% $1.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

West Caldwell, NJ

$346 12.2%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 6.8% $23

Eating Out

West Caldwell, NJ

$343 12.1%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 0.3% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

West Caldwell, NJ

$152 5.4%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 6.3% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

West Caldwell, NJ

$70 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 28.4% $20

Getting Around

West Caldwell, NJ

$20 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 387% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,626 in West Caldwell, NJ versus $2,446 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 62% 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 $79.0 in West Caldwell, NJ versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $451 in West Caldwell, NJ vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 West Caldwell, NJ

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

04:11 4:11 AM

03:11 3:11 AM

1 h behind West Caldwell, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,797

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

West Caldwell, NJ Chicago, IL 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

West Caldwell, NJ
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

West Caldwell, NJ vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,828 in West Caldwell, NJ, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 11% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,242 per month in West Caldwell, NJ and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in West Caldwell, NJ, 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 $79.0 in West Caldwell, NJ and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,828 in West Caldwell, NJ and $3,139 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 $2,828 in West Caldwell, NJ to $3,139 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 West Caldwell, NJ. 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.