Cost of Living: Chicago vs New York (2026)

United States vs United States — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

🇺🇸 Chicago

United States

Full profile

Livability Score

🇺🇸 New York

United States

Full profile

Chicago

New York

$2388/mo

Rent

$4281/mo

54/100

Livability

58/100

35/100

Safety

64/100

65/100

Healthcare

63/100

10 yr

PR path

10 yr

180 Mbps

Internet

162 Mbps

Self-employed / Sole Proprietor

Freelance setup

Wise ✓ · Wise ✓

Self-employed / Sole Proprietor

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRChicago is 44% cheaper on rent ($2388/mo vs $4281/mo). New York is safer — homicide rate 3.9 vs 17.5 per 100k. Both cities require a personal relationship with your winter coat.

Too close to call — 58 vs 54. New York has a slight edge, but Chicago might suit you better depending on your priorities.

Household

Chicago

Metric

New York

✓$2388/mo

🏠

Rent (1BR centre)

$4281/mo

✓$819/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

$997/mo

✓$8,623

🧳

Cost to land

$13,582

17.5 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

3.9 / 100k✓

66 / 100

🚨

Crime perception

lower is better

51 / 100✓

27°C

☀️

Summer high

28°C

-4°C

❄️

Winter low

-1°C

✓180 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

162 Mbps

✓11.3 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

13.2 μg/m³

7.8 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

7.8 / 10

100/100

🗣️

Street English

100/100

$86k

💼

GDP per capita

$86k

2.9% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

2.9% · Boringly steady

54 / 100

🏅

Livability Score

58 / 100✓

83/100 — Mostly stable

⚡

Grid reliability

83/100 — Mostly stable

80/100

🗽

Freedom House

80/100

10 years

📋

Time to PR

10 years

Set salary to see annual savings →

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Chicago

$1893/mo cheaper on rent alone

🔒

Safety

New York

3.9 homicides per 100k

Settler Essentials

stable →

Democracy trend

stable →

improving ↑

Inflation trend

improving ↑

financetradinghealthcaremanufacturing

Industries

financemediatechfashion

hub

Startup ecosystem

hub

83/100

Grid reliability

83/100

10 yrs

Time to PR

10 yrs

Easy

🇺🇸 Your visa

Easy

Moderate

EU visa

Moderate

Suspended

RU visa

Suspended

Moderate

UA visa

Moderate

⚠️ Partner work rights are very limited

Spouse works

⚠️ Partner work rights are very limited

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · IEA · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

On request

Post-Dobbs (2022): varies dramatically by state. Fully banned in ~14 states, protected in ~20 states.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

The Short Version

•Rent is 44% cheaper in Chicago ($2388/mo vs $4281/mo for a 1BR city centre).
•Summers are slightly warmer in New York (28°C vs 27°C).
•New York is safer by homicide rate (3.9 vs 17.5 per 100k).

Chicago vs New York — Common Questions

Is Chicago cheaper than New York?▾

Chicago is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $2388/month in Chicago vs $4281/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Chicago or New York?▾

New York is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Chicago has a rate of 17.50 per 100,000 and New York has 3.90 per 100,000.

Should I move to Chicago or New York?▾

Too close to call — 58 vs 54. New York has a slight edge, but Chicago might suit you better depending on your priorities. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Chicago or New York?▾

Chicago: US Employment-Based Green Card (complex process, Permanent residence). New York: US Employment-Based Green Card (complex process, Permanent residence). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

What's the cost of rent in Chicago vs New York?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $2388/month in Chicago, $4281/month in New York (Numbeo). That's 44% cheaper rent in Chicago.