Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bar Harbor, ME and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Bar Harbor, ME: $2,693 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

136

Cost of Living Index in Bar Harbor, ME
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Bar Harbor, ME Living Index
147

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

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Bar Harbor, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,693

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,693 in Bar Harbor, ME versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL.

Bar Harbor, ME $2,693
Chicago, IL $3,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,285 in Bar Harbor, ME versus $4,518 in Chicago, IL.

Bar Harbor, ME $4,285
Chicago, IL $4,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,878 in Bar Harbor, ME versus $5,999 in Chicago, IL.

Bar Harbor, ME $5,878
Chicago, IL $5,999

Living in Bar Harbor, ME costs roughly 11% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bar Harbor, ME 98% above, Chicago, IL 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.25 $25.25

$20.71 $20.71

21.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$89.2 $89.2

32.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.24 $15.24

$13.19 $13.19

15.54%

Cappuccino

$6.16 $6.16

$5.66 $5.66

8.83%

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

$3.01 $3.01

$2.64 $2.64

14.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.28 $2.28

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$6.87 $6.87

15.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 $8.22

$8.84 $8.84

-7.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.25 $1.25

-10.40%

White Bread (500g)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.72 $3.72

22.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.66 $8.66

$5.39 $5.39

60.67%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$4.74 $4.74

-14.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.19 $19.19

$13.84 $13.84

38.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.17 $10.17

$14.40 $14.40

-29.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.02 $16.02

$18.38 $18.38

-12.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$5.22 $5.22

-7.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.98 $1.98

-13.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$4.06 $4.06

45.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$4.97 $4.97

34.00%

Potato (1kg)

$6.19 $6.19

$2.67 $2.67

131.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$2.66 $2.66

43.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.24 $2.24

48.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$3.13 $3.13

-16.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.21 $12.21

$13.82 $13.82

-11.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 $14.77

$14.88 $14.88

-0.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.54 $2.54

-25.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.51 $3.51

-25.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.43 $2.43

-23.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.7 $58.7

$73.5 $73.5

-20.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.18 $3.18

-36.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.39 $1.39

12.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 $11.09

$25.03 $25.03

-55.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.20 $1.20

-12.50%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.30%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

0.05%

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

$223 $223

$194 $194

14.51%

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

$70.0 $70.0

$69.5 $69.5

0.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.8 $78.8

$61.6 $61.6

27.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.18 $36.18

$47.90 $47.90

-24.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$14.09 $14.09

$17.81 $17.81

-20.89%

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

$1,238 $1,238

$1,794 $1,794

-30.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K $20.4K

$31.9K $31.9K

-36.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$67.0 $67.0

-21.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.6 $78.6

$52.1 $52.1

50.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$102 $102

1.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$144 $144

-6.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,344 $1,344

$2,526 $2,526

-46.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 $1,145

$1,578 $1,578

-27.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,177 $2,177

$4,738 $4,738

-54.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,318 $2,318

$2,693 $2,693

-13.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,107 $3,107

$4,190 $4,190

-25.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,260 $2,260

$2,768 $2,768

-18.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.81

-4.55%

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

Last update for Bar Harbor, ME: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bar Harbor, ME

$1.1K 42.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 37.8% $433

Groceries & Markets

Bar Harbor, ME

$470 17.5%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 4.9% $23

Eating Out

Bar Harbor, ME

$400 14.9%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 13.7% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bar Harbor, ME

$371 13.8%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 12.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Bar Harbor, ME

$166 6.2%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 1.1% $1.9

Getting Around

Bar Harbor, ME

$76 2.8%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 23% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Bar Harbor, ME

$64 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 29.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,344 in Bar Harbor, ME and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $118 in Bar Harbor, ME vs $89 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $470 vs $447 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bar Harbor, ME

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

10:05 10:05 AM

09:05 9:05 AM

1 h behind Bar Harbor, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,500

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bar Harbor, ME Chicago, IL 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bar Harbor, 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

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

Bar Harbor, ME and Chicago, IL differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,693 vs $3,037 including rent). Bar Harbor, ME is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,039 in Bar Harbor, ME and $4,555 in Chicago, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,344 in Bar Harbor, ME versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,693 per month in Bar Harbor, ME versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bar Harbor, ME runs roughly 20% less than in Chicago, IL. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $2,693 in Bar Harbor, ME versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bar Harbor, ME but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Bar Harbor, 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.