Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in McKeesport, PA: $2,140 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in McKeesport, PA
Learn more

McKeesport, PA Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

McKeesport, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,140

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,140 in McKeesport, PA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
McKeesport, PA $2,140

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,192 in McKeesport, PA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
McKeesport, PA $3,192

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,244 in McKeesport, PA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
McKeesport, PA $4,244

Chicago, IL costs about 42% more than McKeesport, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and McKeesport, PA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, McKeesport, PA by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$27.87 $27.87

-25.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$61.3 $61.3

45.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.36 $11.36

16.11%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.02 $5.02

12.75%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.90 $1.90

38.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$0.97 $0.97

135.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$3.52 $3.52

95.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$5.07 $5.07

74.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.11 $1.11

12.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.30 $2.30

61.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.02 $5.02

7.37%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.40 $3.40

39.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$10.72 $10.72

29.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$15.49 $15.49

-7.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$24.28 $24.28

-24.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.87 $4.87

7.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.78 $1.78

11.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.27 $4.27

-4.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.44 $5.44

-8.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$6.29 $6.29

-57.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.94 $2.94

-9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.39 $2.39

-6.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.49 $1.49

110.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.82 $9.82

40.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.26 $15.26

-2.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.99 $1.99

27.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.31 $3.31

6.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.99 $1.99

22.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$59.3 $59.3

24.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.19 $3.19

-0.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.71 $1.71

-18.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$30.28 $30.28

-17.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.16 $1.16

3.45%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.2K $28.2K

24.41%

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

$321 $321

-39.36%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$55.1 $55.1

26.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$55.4 $55.4

11.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$40.49 $40.49

18.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$9.86 $9.86

177.28%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$13.77 $13.77

29.34%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,373 $1,373

30.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$23.5K $23.5K

35.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$51.8 $51.8

29.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$41.51 $41.51

25.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$87.7 $87.7

15.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$116 $116

24.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$838 $838

201.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$643 $643

145.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,314 $1,314

260.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,109 $1,109

142.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,870 $2,870

45.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,387 $2,387

15.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,020 $3,020

63.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.57

3.65%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for McKeesport, PA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

McKeesport, PA

$643 30.1% 59.3% $935

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

McKeesport, PA

$429 20% 4.2% $19

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

McKeesport, PA

$356 16.7% 3.4% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

McKeesport, PA

$431 20.1% 32.4% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

McKeesport, PA

$133 6.2% 18.6% $31

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

McKeesport, PA

$79 3.7% 15.4% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

McKeesport, PA

$68 3.2% 18.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $838 in McKeesport, PA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 63% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $61 in McKeesport, PA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $429 – making McKeesport, PA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 McKeesport, PA

🕒 Local time

04:17 4:17 AM

05:17 5:17 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

22,408

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL McKeesport, PA 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
McKeesport, 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 McKeesport, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,140 in McKeesport, PA – McKeesport, PA comes out roughly 30% 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 $3,210 in McKeesport, PA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in McKeesport, PA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $838 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $61 in McKeesport, PA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in McKeesport, PA, where all-in costs run around $2,140, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In McKeesport, PA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward McKeesport, PA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with McKeesport, PA. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.