Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Chicago, IL 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Chicago, IL is 28.5% lower than in New York, NY (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Chicago, IL is 35.4% lower than in New York, NY | |
| Rent Prices in Chicago, IL are 44.2% lower than in New York, NY | |
| Restaurant Prices in Chicago, IL are 24.2% lower than in New York, NY | |
| Groceries Prices in Chicago, IL are 20.8% lower than in New York, NY | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Chicago, IL is 56.2% higher than in New York, NY | |
Restaurants | New York, NY Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 30.00 $ | 20.50 $ | -31.7 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 145.00 $ | 100.00 $ | -31.0 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 12.50 $ | 12.00 $ | -4.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 8.00 $ | 7.00 $ | -12.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 12.00 $ | 8.25 $ | -31.2 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.95 $ | 5.67 $ | -4.7 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.30 $ | 3.03 $ | -8.2 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.63 $ | 2.41 $ | -8.3 % |
Markets | New York, NY Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 5.98 $ | 4.01 $ | -33.0 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 4.65 $ | 3.66 $ | -21.3 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.73 $ | 2.47 $ | -33.6 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 7.07 $ | 4.58 $ | -35.2 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 7.87 $ | 6.52 $ | -17.2 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 7.48 $ | 6.83 $ | -8.7 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 9.15 $ | 8.70 $ | -4.9 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 3.41 $ | 2.40 $ | -29.6 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.13 $ | 0.79 $ | -30.2 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.62 $ | 1.95 $ | -25.6 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.89 $ | 2.02 $ | -30.0 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.71 $ | 1.13 $ | -33.7 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.82 $ | 1.25 $ | -31.2 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 3.11 $ | 2.45 $ | -21.0 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.52 $ | 2.65 $ | +5.1 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 19.99 $ | 15.00 $ | -25.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.96 $ | 2.42 $ | -18.2 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.79 $ | 3.64 $ | -4.1 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 19.00 $ | 15.00 $ | -21.1 % |
Transportation | New York, NY Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.90 $ | 2.50 $ | -13.8 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 132.00 $ | 75.00 $ | -43.2 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 4.99 $ | 3.25 $ | -34.9 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 3.50 $ | 2.25 $ | -35.7 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 42.00 $ | 25.00 $ | -40.5 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 3.56 $ | 4.06 $ | +14.2 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 35,000.00 $ | 31,965.00 $ | -8.7 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 27,984.05 $ | 26,398.93 $ | -5.7 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | New York, NY Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 181.37 $ | 184.60 $ | +1.8 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 59.81 $ | 62.71 $ | +4.8 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 62.90 $ | 66.29 $ | +5.4 % |
Sports And Leisure | New York, NY Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 142.19 $ | 76.43 $ | -46.2 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 64.58 $ | 13.12 $ | -79.7 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 20.00 $ | 15.00 $ | -25.0 % |
Childcare | New York, NY Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 3,164.36 $ | 2,056.25 $ | -35.0 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 57,250.00 $ | 39,114.29 $ | -31.7 % |
Clothing And Shoes | New York, NY Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 66.98 $ | 64.22 $ | -4.1 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 48.05 $ | 51.54 $ | +7.3 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 113.27 $ | 96.12 $ | -15.1 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 170.74 $ | 145.88 $ | -14.6 % |
Rent Per Month | New York, NY Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 4,143.37 $ | 2,344.23 $ | -43.4 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,681.09 $ | 1,600.95 $ | -40.3 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 8,388.10 $ | 4,682.61 $ | -44.2 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 5,217.60 $ | 2,767.39 $ | -47.0 % |
Buy Apartment Price | New York, NY Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,721.69 $ | 320.76 $ | -81.4 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 1,197.27 $ | 230.28 $ | -80.8 % |
Salaries And Financing | New York, NY Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,128.24 $ | 5,177.98 $ | +1.0 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.44 | 6.60 | +2.5 % |
| Last update: | 11 June 2025 | 12 June 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 373 | 247 |
Moving to New York, NY? Explore:
Moving to Chicago, IL? Explore:
Cities near New York, NY: | Cost of Living in Jersey City, New Jersey | 4.58 miles |
| Cost of Living in East Rutherford, New Jersey | 10.01 miles |
| Cost of Living in Rutherford, New Jersey | 10.22 miles |
| Cost of Living in Newark, New Jersey | 11.63 miles |
| Cost of Living in Paterson, New Jersey | 17.95 miles |
| Cost of Living in Bergen County, New Jersey | 20.13 miles |
| Cost of Living in Hempstead, New York | 22.26 miles |
| Cost of Living in West Caldwell, New Jersey | 23.56 miles |
| Cost of Living in Woodbridge, New Jersey | 25.26 miles |
| Cost of Living in Glen Cove, New York | 30.15 miles |
Cities near Chicago, IL: | Cost of Living in Oak Park, Illinois | 9.14 miles |
| Cost of Living in Evanston, Illinois | 14.20 miles |
| Cost of Living in La Grange Park, Illinois | 15.03 miles |
| Cost of Living in Franklin Park, Illinois | 16.69 miles |
| Cost of Living in Des Plaines, Illinois | 20.82 miles |
| Cost of Living in East Chicago, Indiana | 23.76 miles |
| Cost of Living in Wheaton, Illinois | 25.81 miles |
| Cost of Living in Arlington Heights, Illinois | 27.19 miles |
| Cost of Living in Bolingbrook, Illinois | 29.21 miles |
| Cost of Living in Wheeling, Illinois | 29.29 miles |