Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Pittsburgh, PA: $2,525 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Pittsburgh, PA
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Pittsburgh, PA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Pittsburgh, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,525 in Pittsburgh, PA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Pittsburgh, PA $2,525

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,630 in Pittsburgh, PA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Pittsburgh, PA $3,630

A family of three spends $6,077 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,736 in Pittsburgh, PA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Pittsburgh, PA $4,736

Chicago, IL costs about 26% more than Pittsburgh, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Pittsburgh, PA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Pittsburgh, PA by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$19.71 $19.71

9.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$60.1 $60.1

47.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$9.81 $9.81

34.56%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$4.84 $4.84

15.50%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.64 $2.64

-0.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.15 $2.15

5.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$6.59 $6.59

7.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$8.18 $8.18

12.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.21 $1.21

5.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.74 $3.74

2.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$4.84 $4.84

4.75%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$14.71 $14.71

-3.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$12.62 $12.62

15.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$17.43 $17.43

7.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.15 $5.15

0.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.50 $1.50

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$4.04 $4.04

-0.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.52 $5.52

-9.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.38 $2.38

17.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.52 $2.52

5.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.39 $2.39

-10.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.99 $1.99

55.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$10.98 $10.98

46.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$12.76 $12.76

19.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.07 $2.07

26.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.97 $3.97

-12.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.81 $2.81

-12.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

$98.3 $98.3

-23.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.97 $3.97

-19.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.53 $1.53

-9.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$20.78 $20.78

20.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.07 $1.07

15.89%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$37.1K $37.1K

0.27%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

0.54%

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

$192 $192

$252 $252

-23.58%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$53.5 $53.5

26.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$68.7 $68.7

-11.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$44.26 $44.26

21.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

$28.52 $28.52

-2.17%

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$11.83 $11.83

50.46%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,752 $1,752

-11.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$34.6K $34.6K

-9.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$46.08 $46.08

47.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$47.74 $47.74

6.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$72.9 $72.9

39.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$102 $102

41.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$1,587 $1,587

50.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,112 $1,112

53.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$2,442 $2,442

91.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$1,736 $1,736

57.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$3,169 $3,169

31.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$2,023 $2,023

32.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$4,361 $4,361

12.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.52

3.83%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Pittsburgh, PA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Pittsburgh, PA

$1.1K 44.1% 35% $600

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Pittsburgh, PA

$416 16.5% 7.9% $36

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Pittsburgh, PA

$314 12.4% 11.1% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Pittsburgh, PA

$374 14.8% 16.5% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Pittsburgh, PA

$121 4.8% 26.1% $43

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Pittsburgh, PA

$121 4.8% 27.4% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Pittsburgh, PA

$68 2.7% 23.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $1,587 in Pittsburgh, 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 12% 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 $60.0 in Pittsburgh, PA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $416 – making Pittsburgh, PA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Pittsburgh, PA

🕒 Local time

08:41 8:41 AM

09:41 9:41 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

311,647

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Pittsburgh, PA 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL, $2,525 in Pittsburgh, PA – roughly 26% 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 $3,788 in Pittsburgh, PA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 9% 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 $60.0 in Pittsburgh, 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 $3,185 in Chicago, IL and $2,525 in Pittsburgh, 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 $2,525 in Pittsburgh, PA to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Pittsburgh, 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.