Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Philadelphia, PA: $2,823 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Philadelphia, PA
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Philadelphia, PA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Philadelphia, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,823 in Philadelphia, PA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Philadelphia, PA $2,823

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,218 in Philadelphia, PA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Philadelphia, PA $4,218

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,612 in Philadelphia, PA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Philadelphia, PA $5,612

Chicago, IL costs about 8% more than Philadelphia, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Philadelphia, PA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Philadelphia, PA by 107%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$23.40 $23.40

-11.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$85.0 $85.0

4.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.73 $12.73

3.61%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.32 $5.32

6.39%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.00 $3.00

-12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.23 $2.23

2.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.83 $5.83

17.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.14 $8.14

8.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.45 $1.45

-13.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.34 $4.34

-14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$7.04 $7.04

-23.44%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.93 $4.93

-3.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.93 $11.93

16.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$12.45 $12.45

15.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.21 $17.21

6.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.59 $5.59

-6.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.60 $1.60

23.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.56 $5.56

-26.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.57 $5.57

-10.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.88 $2.88

-7.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.18 $3.18

-16.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.57 $2.57

-12.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.53 $2.53

23.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$12.03 $12.03

14.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.25 $15.25

-2.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.33 $2.33

9.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.37 $4.37

-19.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.98 $2.98

-18.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$117 $117

-37.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.83 $2.83

12.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.58 $1.58

-12.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$23.53 $23.53

6.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.10 $1.10

9.09%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$31.8K $31.8K

10.18%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.23%

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

$194 $194

$224 $224

-13.06%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$64.9 $64.9

6.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$67.5 $67.5

-8.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$71.1 $71.1

-32.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$88.9 $88.9

-69.24%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.13 $15.13

17.71%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,117 $2,117

-15.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$41.8K $41.8K

-23.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$50.2 $50.2

33.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$43.91 $43.91

18.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$103 $103

-1.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$142 $142

1.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,069 $2,069

22.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,269 $1,269

24.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$4,571 $4,571

3.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,103 $2,103

28.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$4,141 $4,141

1.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,890 $1,890

46.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,139 $4,139

19.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.66

2.25%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Philadelphia, PA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Philadelphia, PA

$1.3K 44.9% 19.6% $309

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Philadelphia, PA

$450 15.9% 0.5% $2.3

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Philadelphia, PA

$356 12.6% 3.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Philadelphia, PA

$356 12.6% 9.4% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Philadelphia, PA

$152 5.4% 7.1% $12

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Philadelphia, PA

$139 4.9% 49.3% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Philadelphia, PA

$101 3.6% 21.3% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,069 in Philadelphia, 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 19% 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 $85 in Philadelphia, PA. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $450 in Philadelphia, PA – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Philadelphia, PA

🕒 Local time

07:00 7:00 AM

08:00 8:00 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

1,573,916

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Philadelphia, PA 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,823 in Philadelphia, PA – roughly 8% 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 $4,235 in Philadelphia, PA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Philadelphia, PA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,069 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $85 in Philadelphia, PA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Chicago, IL. 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 $2,823 in Philadelphia, PA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Philadelphia, PA costs $2,823 versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Philadelphia, PA. 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.