Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between West New York, NJ and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in West New York, NJ: $1,328 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $22,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in West New York, NJ
Learn more

West New York, NJ Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

West New York, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$1,328

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,328 per month in West New York, NJ vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

West New York, NJ $1,328
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in West New York, NJ vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

West New York, NJ $2,216
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $3,105 per month in West New York, NJ vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

West New York, NJ $3,105
Chicago, IL $6,077

West New York, NJ is about 58% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

West New York, NJ sits 2% below the global median, while Chicago, IL is 136% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.37 $19.37

$21.58 $21.58

-10.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 $80.7

$88.7 $88.7

-8.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$13.20 $13.20

-2.65%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$5.59 $5.59

-8.05%

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

$2.47 $2.47

$2.63 $2.63

-6.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.26 $2.26

-50.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 $5.83

$7.11 $7.11

-18.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 $7.11

$9.23 $9.23

-22.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.28 $1.28

3.91%

White Bread (500g)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.84 $3.84

20.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.14 $6.14

$5.07 $5.07

21.10%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$4.84 $4.84

5.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$14.17 $14.17

-2.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 $10.32

$14.61 $14.61

-29.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.61 $19.61

$18.76 $18.76

4.53%

Apples (1kg)

$6.08 $6.08

$5.19 $5.19

17.15%

Banana (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.00 $2.00

80.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$4.00 $4.00

5.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$4.98 $4.98

4.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.79 $2.79

11.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.65 $2.65

17.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.13 $2.13

40.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.09 $3.09

-0.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.15 $12.15

$16.05 $16.05

-24.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 $15.23

$15.20 $15.20

0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.62 $2.62

-29.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.46 $3.46

2.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.73 $3.73

$2.47 $2.47

51.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$125 $125

$75.1 $75.1

65.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.21 $3.21

-4.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.39 $1.39

53.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.57 $41.57

$25.02 $25.02

66.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.24 $1.24

-30.65%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$37.2K $37.2K

-4.45%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$25.8K $25.8K

-3.24%

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

$85.6 $85.6

$192 $192

-55.50%

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

$49.16 $49.16

$67.8 $67.8

-27.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 $50.7

$60.9 $60.9

-16.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.02 $29.02

$53.6 $53.6

-45.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$20.62 $20.62

$17.80 $17.80

15.84%

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

$1,980 $1,980

$1,554 $1,554

27.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K $15.9K

$31.4K $31.4K

-49.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.87 $49.87

$67.9 $67.9

-26.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.3 $81.3

$50.8 $50.8

60.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$101 $101

-14.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$143 $143

-29.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,629 $2,629

$2,383 $2,383

10.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

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)

$5,369 $5,369

$4,894 $4,894

9.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

6.77

-6.06%

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

Last update for West New York, NJ: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

West New York, NJ

$462 34.8%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 2.4% $11

Eating Out

West New York, NJ

$313 23.6%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 12.8% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

West New York, NJ

$185 14%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 73.1% $136

Getting Around

West New York, NJ

$153 11.5%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 37.9% $58

Clothing & Footwear

West New York, NJ

$143 10.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 14% $20

Sport & Entertainment

West New York, NJ

$70 5.3%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 26.9% $19

Accommodation & Living

West New York, NJ

- * 0%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,629 in West New York, NJ 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 10% higher in West New York, NJ, 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 $81.0 in West New York, NJ versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $462 in West New York, NJ vs $451 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 West New York, NJ

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

12:42 12:42 PM

11:42 11:42 AM

1 h behind West New York, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

49,708

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

West New York, NJ Chicago, IL 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,328 in West New York, NJ, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 140% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,992 per month in West New York, NJ 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 West New York, NJ, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% 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 $81.0 in West New York, NJ and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,328 in West New York, NJ 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 $1,328 in West New York, NJ to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with West New York, 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.