Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Lewisburg, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lewisburg, PA: $2,074 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Lewisburg, PA
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Lewisburg, PA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Lewisburg, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,074

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Lewisburg, PA

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 Lewisburg, PA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,074 in Lewisburg, PA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Lewisburg, PA $2,074

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,045 in Lewisburg, PA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Lewisburg, PA $3,045

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,016 in Lewisburg, PA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Lewisburg, PA $4,016

Chicago, IL costs about 46% more than Lewisburg, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Lewisburg, PA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Lewisburg, PA by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.79 $19.79

4.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$76.4 $76.4

16.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.15 $10.15

29.95%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.19 $5.19

9.06%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.05 $3.05

-13.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.04 $2.04

11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.85 $5.85

17.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$5.13 $5.13

72.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.22 $1.22

2.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.51 $4.51

-17.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.91 $2.91

85.22%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.17 $3.17

49.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.03 $12.03

15.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$12.19 $12.19

18.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$14.39 $14.39

27.73%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.40 $4.40

18.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.53 $1.53

29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.46 $5.46

-25.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.74 $5.74

-13.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.92 $2.92

-8.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.17 $3.17

-16.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.25 $2.25

-0.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.51 $2.51

24.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.88 $11.88

16.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.74 $13.74

8.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.38 $2.38

6.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.35 $4.35

-19.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.12 $2.12

14.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$56.5 $56.5

30.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.91 $2.91

9.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.59 $1.59

-12.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$23.71 $23.71

5.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.09 $1.09

10.09%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$31.8K $31.8K

10.13%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.12%

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

$194 $194

$203 $203

-4.25%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$39.62 $39.62

75.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$66.2 $66.2

-6.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$39.54 $39.54

21.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.21 $12.21

45.86%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,085 $2,085

-13.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$41.5K $41.5K

-23.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$49.02 $49.02

36.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$43.78 $43.78

19.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$68.7 $68.7

47.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$90.6 $90.6

58.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$834 $834

202.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$796 $796

98.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,593 $1,593

197.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,195 $1,195

125.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,783 $2,783

50.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,675 $2,675

3.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

13.50%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lewisburg, PA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Lewisburg, PA

$795 38.3% 49.6% $783

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Lewisburg, PA

$406 19.6% 9.3% $41

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Lewisburg, PA

$311 15% 9.8% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Lewisburg, PA

$309 14.9% 5.1% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Lewisburg, PA

$113 5.5% 30.8% $51

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Lewisburg, PA

$76 3.7% 18.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Lewisburg, PA

$64 3.1% 23.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $834 in Lewisburg, PA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $76 in Lewisburg, PA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $406 – making Lewisburg, PA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Lewisburg, PA

🕒 Local time

13:07 1:07 PM

14:07 2:07 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

5,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Lewisburg, PA 900 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Lewisburg, PA

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 Lewisburg, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,074 in Lewisburg, PA – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,112 in Lewisburg, PA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lewisburg, PA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $834 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $76 in Lewisburg, PA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,074 in Lewisburg, PA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,074 in Lewisburg, PA to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Lewisburg, PA is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 46% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.