Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lewiston, ME: $2,834 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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
135

Cost of Living Index in Lewiston, ME
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Lewiston, ME Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Lewiston, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,834

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,834 in Lewiston, ME, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Lewiston, ME $2,834

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,213 in Lewiston, ME, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Lewiston, ME $4,213

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,592 in Lewiston, ME, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Lewiston, ME $5,592

Chicago, IL costs about 7% more than Lewiston, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Lewiston, ME sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Lewiston, ME by 108%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$18.19 $18.19

13.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$94.7 $94.7

-5.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$13.44 $13.44

-1.86%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.32 $5.32

6.39%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.91 $2.91

-9.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.82 $2.82

-19.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.93 $4.93

39.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.12 $8.12

8.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.08 $1.08

15.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.91 $3.91

-4.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.49 $5.49

-1.82%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.91 $4.91

-3.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.27 $11.27

22.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$14.20 $14.20

1.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.61 $17.61

4.37%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.56 $6.56

-20.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.79 $1.79

10.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$6.76 $6.76

-39.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.50 $5.50

-9.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.86 $2.86

-6.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$4.36 $4.36

-38.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.94 $2.94

-23.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.20 $2.20

42.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.00 $9.00

53.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.32 $13.32

11.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.17 $2.17

17.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.24 $4.24

-17.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.80 $1.80

35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$63.3 $63.3

16.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.06 $3.06

3.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.55 $1.55

-10.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$31.63 $31.63

-20.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.03 $1.03

16.50%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

29.24%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.16%

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

$194 $194

$323 $323

-39.71%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$103 $103

-32.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$83.6 $83.6

-26.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$45.22 $45.22

5.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.34 $14.34

24.20%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,816 $1,816

-1.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$29.4K $29.4K

8.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$16.10 $16.10

316.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$39.03 $39.03

33.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$79.5 $79.5

27.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$101 $101

42.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$981 $981

157.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,301 $1,301

21.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,532 $2,532

87.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,291 $2,291

17.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,531 $2,531

65.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,305 $2,305

20.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.64

2.56%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lewiston, ME: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Lewiston, ME

$1.3K 45.9% 17.5% $277

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Lewiston, ME

$449 15.8% 0.3% $1.3

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Lewiston, ME

$314 11.1% 9.1% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Lewiston, ME

$509 18% 56.4% $184

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Lewiston, ME

$106 3.7% 35.3% $58

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Lewiston, ME

$81 2.9% 12.9% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Lewiston, ME

$74 2.6% 11.5% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $981 in Lewiston, ME. 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 $95 in Lewiston, ME. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $449 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Lewiston, ME

🕒 Local time

02:10 2:10 AM

03:10 3:10 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

36,226

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Lewiston, ME 1,430 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,834 in Lewiston, ME – Lewiston, ME comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,251 in Lewiston, ME. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lewiston, ME, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $981 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $95 in Lewiston, ME. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Lewiston, ME. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,834 in Lewiston, ME. 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 $2,834 in Lewiston, ME to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.