Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Morgantown, WV: $2,292 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 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
111

Cost of Living Index in Morgantown, WV
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Morgantown, WV Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Morgantown, WV

🇺🇸 United States

$2,292

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,292 in Morgantown, WV, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Morgantown, WV $2,292

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,457 in Morgantown, WV, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Morgantown, WV $3,457

A family of three spends $6,077 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,622 in Morgantown, WV, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Morgantown, WV $4,622

Chicago, IL costs about 39% more than Morgantown, WV, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Morgantown, WV sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Morgantown, WV by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$20.12 $20.12

7.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$67.1 $67.1

32.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$10.81 $10.81

22.11%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$4.63 $4.63

20.73%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.71 $2.71

-2.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.21 $2.21

2.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$4.62 $4.62

53.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$4.49 $4.49

105.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.81 $0.81

58.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.24 $2.24

71.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.76 $3.76

34.84%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$4.27 $4.27

13.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$10.69 $10.69

32.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$14.30 $14.30

2.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$12.80 $12.80

46.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$6.43 $6.43

-19.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.91 $1.91

4.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$4.20 $4.20

-4.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.21 $5.21

-4.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$7.46 $7.46

-62.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$5.42 $5.42

-51.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.92 $1.92

10.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.54 $2.54

21.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$10.20 $10.20

57.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$14.23 $14.23

6.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.71 $1.71

53.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.17 $3.17

9.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.95 $1.95

26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

$78.8 $78.8

-4.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$4.89 $4.89

-34.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$3.06 $3.06

-54.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$35.60 $35.60

-29.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.92 $0.92

34.78%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$22.9K $22.9K

62.63%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$24.1K $24.1K

7.24%

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

$192 $192

$451 $451

-57.41%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$38.63 $38.63

75.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$72.6 $72.6

-16.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$17.38 $17.38

208.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

$50.8 $50.8

-45.05%

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$15.73 $15.73

13.16%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$598 $598

159.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$64.2K $64.2K

-51.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$57.4 $57.4

18.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$25.41 $25.41

99.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$74.1 $74.1

36.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$69.7 $69.7

105.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$980 $980

143.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$766 $766

123.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$1,821 $1,821

156.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$1,541 $1,541

77.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$1,929 $1,929

115.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$1,769 $1,769

52.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$4,127 $4,127

18.58%

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 Morgantown, WV: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Morgantown, WV

$766 33.4% 55.3% $946

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Morgantown, WV

$406 17.7% 10.1% $45

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Morgantown, WV

$301 13.1% 14.8% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Morgantown, WV

$563 24.5% 75.3% $242

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Morgantown, WV

$102 4.5% 37.6% $62

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Morgantown, WV

$107 4.7% 12.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Morgantown, WV

$49 2.1% 45.2% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $980 in Morgantown, WV. 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 19% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Chicago, IL versus $67.0 in Morgantown, WV. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $406 – making Morgantown, WV the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Morgantown, WV

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

10:04 10:04 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

30,347

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Morgantown, WV 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Morgantown, WV

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 Morgantown, WV: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL, $2,292 in Morgantown, WV – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,777 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,439 in Morgantown, WV. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Morgantown, WV, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% 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 $89.0 in Chicago, IL and $67.0 in Morgantown, WV. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Morgantown, WV, where all-in costs run around $2,292, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In Morgantown, WV it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,292 in Morgantown, WV to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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