Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Augusta, ME and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Augusta, ME: $2,388 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Augusta, ME
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Augusta, ME Living Index
147

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

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Augusta, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,388

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,388 in Augusta, ME versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL.

Augusta, ME $2,388
Chicago, IL $3,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,317 in Augusta, ME versus $4,518 in Chicago, IL.

Augusta, ME $3,317
Chicago, IL $4,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,246 in Augusta, ME versus $5,999 in Chicago, IL.

Augusta, ME $4,246
Chicago, IL $5,999

Living in Augusta, ME costs roughly 21% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Augusta, ME 75% above, Chicago, IL 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.90 $19.90

$20.71 $20.71

-3.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 $53.1

$89.2 $89.2

-40.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 $10.39

$13.19 $13.19

-21.23%

Cappuccino

$5.40 $5.40

$5.66 $5.66

-4.59%

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

$2.36 $2.36

$2.64 $2.64

-10.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.28 $2.28

-30.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 $5.02

$6.87 $6.87

-26.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 $7.72

$8.84 $8.84

-12.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.25 $1.25

-8.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.72 $3.72

22.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$5.39 $5.39

-73.10%

Eggs

$3.96 $3.96

$4.74 $4.74

-16.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 $15.09

$13.84 $13.84

9.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.12 $14.12

$14.40 $14.40

-1.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.52 $19.52

$18.38 $18.38

6.20%

Apples (1kg)

$7.48 $7.48

$5.22 $5.22

43.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.98 $1.98

-33.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$4.06 $4.06

-23.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$4.97 $4.97

-7.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.67 $2.67

-12.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.66 $2.66

7.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.24 $2.24

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$3.13 $3.13

-42.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 $11.98

$13.82 $13.82

-13.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.99 $12.99

$14.88 $14.88

-12.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$2.54 $2.54

-38.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 $1.55

$3.51 $3.51

-55.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.18 $3.18

-19.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.39 $1.39

-8.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.55 $28.55

$25.03 $25.03

14.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.20 $1.20

-25.00%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-15.59%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

-9.01%

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

$243 $243

$194 $194

24.96%

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

$45.59 $45.59

$69.5 $69.5

-34.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.0 $61.0

$61.6 $61.6

-1.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.60 $22.60

$47.90 $47.90

-52.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$17.81 $17.81

-20.66%

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

$2,656 $2,656

$1,794 $1,794

48.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.6K $36.6K

$31.9K $31.9K

14.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 $73.5

$67.0 $67.0

9.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 $50.9

$52.1 $52.1

-2.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$102 $102

11.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 $154

$144 $144

7.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 $1,200

$2,526 $2,526

-52.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 $1,078

$1,578 $1,578

-31.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 $1,602

$4,738 $4,738

-66.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 $1,473

$2,693 $2,693

-45.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,386 $2,386

$4,190 $4,190

-43.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,378 $2,378

$2,768 $2,768

-14.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,948 $1,948

$4,931 $4,931

-60.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.3

6.81

-7.49%

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

Last update for Augusta, ME: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Augusta, ME

$1.1K 45.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 46.4% $500

Groceries & Markets

Augusta, ME

$413 17.3%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 8.3% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Augusta, ME

$349 14.6%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 6.9% $24

Eating Out

Augusta, ME

$312 13%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 10.7% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Augusta, ME

$176 7.4%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Augusta, ME

$51 2.1%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 64.2% $33

Getting Around

Augusta, ME

$8.9 * 0.4%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 950% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,200 in Augusta, ME and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $53 in Augusta, ME vs $89 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $413 vs $447 per month, with Augusta, ME cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Augusta, ME

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

16:29 4:29 PM

15:29 3:29 PM

1 h behind Augusta, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

194,343

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Augusta, ME Chicago, IL 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Augusta, ME
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

Augusta, ME vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,388 in Augusta, ME and $3,037 in Chicago, IL, so Augusta, ME is about 21% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Augusta, ME. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,200 in Augusta, ME versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,656 in Augusta, ME versus $1,794 in Chicago, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Augusta, ME – a meal for two runs $53 versus $89 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,388 in Augusta, ME versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Augusta, ME but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Augusta, ME the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Augusta, ME wins on affordability, Chicago, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.