Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Charleston, WV

For one person, living is cheaper in Charleston, WV: $1,829 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Charleston, WV
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Charleston, WV Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Charleston, WV

🇺🇸 United States

$1,829

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Charleston, WV

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 Charleston, WV actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL versus $1,829 in Charleston, WV.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Charleston, WV $1,829

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,631 in Chicago, IL versus $2,694 in Charleston, WV.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Charleston, WV $2,694

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,077 in Chicago, IL versus $3,559 in Charleston, WV.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Charleston, WV $3,559

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 74% more expensive than in Charleston, WV, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 136% above, Charleston, WV 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$14.33 $14.33

50.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$50.0 $50.0

77.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$10.07 $10.07

31.08%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$3.09 $3.09

80.91%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.32 $2.32

13.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.84 $1.84

22.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$3.03 $3.03

134.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$6.67 $6.67

38.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.81 $0.81

58.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.23 $2.23

72.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$1.67 $1.67

203.59%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$3.25 $3.25

48.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$11.21 $11.21

26.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$12.35 $12.35

18.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$16.65 $16.65

12.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.42 $4.42

17.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.03 $1.03

94.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.16 $2.16

85.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.17 $5.17

-3.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.95 $1.95

43.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.86 $2.86

-7.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.03 $2.03

4.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.01 $1.01

205.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$5.92 $5.92

171.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$10.14 $10.14

49.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.69 $1.69

55.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$6.10 $6.10

-43.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.96 $0.96

29.17%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$35.8K $35.8K

3.86%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.2K $25.2K

2.35%

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

$192 $192

$204 $204

-5.74%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$44.92 $44.92

50.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$54.3 $54.3

12.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$30.39 $30.39

76.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

$17.17 $17.17

62.49%

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$12.04 $12.04

47.84%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$543 $543

186.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$6,393 $6,393

390.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$39.37 $39.37

72.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$47.10 $47.10

7.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$68.7 $68.7

47.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$119 $119

20.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$1,017 $1,017

134.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$790 $790

116.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$1,749 $1,749

167.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$1,330 $1,330

105.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$1,132 $1,132

267.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$1,130 $1,130

138.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$3,589 $3,589

36.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.66

1.65%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Charleston, WV: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Charleston, WV

$790 43.2% 53.9% $922

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Charleston, WV

$331 18.1% 26.7% $120

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Charleston, WV

$227 12.4% 35.7% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Charleston, WV

$303 16.6% 5.5% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Charleston, WV

$124 6.8% 24.4% $40

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Charleston, WV

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Charleston, WV

$54 3% 38.9% $35

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 $2,383 in Chicago, IL and $1,017 in Charleston, WV. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 36% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $89.0 in Chicago, IL vs $50.0 in Charleston, WV for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $451 vs $331 per month, with Charleston, WV cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Charleston, WV

🕒 Local time

08:31 8:31 AM

09:31 9:31 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

150,227

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Charleston, WV 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Charleston, WV

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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 Charleston, WV: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Charleston, WV is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 36% higher in Chicago, IL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $1,017 in Charleston, WV. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,554 in Chicago, IL versus $543 in Charleston, WV. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Charleston, WV – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,829 in Charleston, WV versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Charleston, WV but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Charleston, WV the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Charleston, WV is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chicago, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chicago, IL and Charleston, WV are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Charleston, WV gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.