Man Pays $2200 for NYC One-Bedroom, Tours Chicago 3-Bedroom Palace Same Price
KEY POINTS
- â˘Joey Hadden rents a one-bedroom Queens apartment without an oven or laundry for $2200 a month as of early 2026.
- â˘During a recent Chicago trip, Joey toured a much larger three-bedroom, two-bath condo in Woodlawn costing the same amount but fully equipped.
- â˘The Chicago rental features marble kitchens, washer and dryer hookups, private entrances, and parking, highlighting stark rent-to-space differences.
Joey Hadden, a Business Insider reporter, currently rents a cramped 650-square-foot, one-bedroom Queens apartment for $2200 a month, which ironically lacks an oven and any laundry machines. In January 2026, NYC's average rent hit $3486 in Queens, while Chicago's languished at $1976. On a recent Chicago trip, Joey scrolled Zillow and discovered a brand-new 1,400-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath condo in Woodlawn for the same price. This Chicago dream home boasts marble countertops, stainless appliances including an actual oven, two bathrooms, a private back entrance with a patio, and wait for itâa parking spot. The contrast between a stove-top microwave zone and a modern palace with more closets than a retail store screamed irony louder than a subway rat.
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(1 of 3)Why rent a NYC shoebox with no oven or laundry when $2200 magically buys double the size and amenities a few hundred miles west? Urban real estate: come for the neon signs, stay because your rent pays for a closet-sized kitchen.
NYC rents say 'Have a microwave, no oven, and enjoy your stairwell laundry adventures!' Chicago replies, 'Hold my beer, hereâs a marble palace at the same price.'
Turns out $2200 in NYC is just a subscription fee for disappointment, while Chicago is handing out free closets and parking spots like Oprah.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 3/19/2026 | Author: Joey Hadden
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