Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
136

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

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Bar Harbor, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Bar Harbor, ME

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chicago, IL and in Bar Harbor, ME actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 13% more expensive than in Bar Harbor, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$25.25 $25.25

-17.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$118 $118

-24.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$15.24 $15.24

-13.45%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.16 $6.16

-8.12%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.01 $3.01

-12.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.47 $2.47

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.95 $7.95

-13.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.22 $8.22

7.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.12 $1.12

11.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.55 $4.55

-18.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$8.66 $8.66

-37.76%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.04 $4.04

17.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$19.19 $19.19

-27.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$10.17 $10.17

41.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$16.02 $16.02

14.73%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.83 $4.83

8.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.71 $1.71

15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.89 $5.89

-31.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.66 $6.66

-25.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$6.19 $6.19

-56.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.81 $3.81

-30.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.32 $3.32

-32.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.61 $2.61

19.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$12.21 $12.21

13.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.77 $14.77

0.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.88 $1.88

35.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.63 $2.63

33.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.85 $1.85

31.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$58.7 $58.7

25.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.03 $2.03

56.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.56 $1.56

-10.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$11.09 $11.09

125.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.05 $1.05

14.29%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.6K $27.6K

27.07%

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)

$194 $194

$223 $223

-12.68%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$70.0 $70.0

-0.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$78.8 $78.8

-21.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$36.18 $36.18

32.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.09 $14.09

26.40%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,238 $1,238

44.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$20.4K $20.4K

56.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$52.7 $52.7

27.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$78.6 $78.6

-33.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$103 $103

-1.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$134 $134

7.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,344 $1,344

88.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,145 $1,145

37.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,177 $2,177

117.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,318 $2,318

16.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,107 $3,107

34.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,260 $2,260

22.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.5

4.77%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Bar Harbor, ME

$1.1K 42.5% 27.4% $433

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Bar Harbor, ME

$470 17.5% 5.1% $23

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Bar Harbor, ME

$400 14.9% 15.9% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Bar Harbor, ME

$371 13.8% 14.1% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Bar Harbor, ME

$166 6.2% 1.2% $1.9

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Bar Harbor, ME

$76 2.8% 18.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Bar Harbor, ME

$64 2.4% 23% $19

Cost Breakdown

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

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

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bar Harbor, ME

🕒 Local time

13:04 1:04 PM

14:04 2:04 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

5,500

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Chicago, IL
Bar Harbor, ME

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

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

Chicago, IL and Bar Harbor, ME differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($3,037 vs $2,693 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 $4,555 in Chicago, IL and $4,039 in Bar Harbor, ME 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: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,344 in Bar Harbor, ME. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL versus $2,693 in Bar Harbor, ME – 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.