Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Portsmouth, NH

For one person, living is cheaper in Portsmouth, NH: $2,763 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses 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 Portsmouth, NH
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Portsmouth, NH Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Portsmouth, NH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,763

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Portsmouth, NH

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 Portsmouth, NH actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,763 in Portsmouth, NH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Portsmouth, NH $2,763

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,026 in Portsmouth, NH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Portsmouth, NH $4,026

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,289 in Portsmouth, NH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Portsmouth, NH $5,289

Chicago, IL costs about 10% more than Portsmouth, NH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Portsmouth, NH sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Portsmouth, NH by 103%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.24 $20.24

2.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$102 $102

-12.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$8.96 $8.96

47.21%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.11 $4.11

37.71%

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

$2.64 $2.64

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.53 $1.53

49.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.08 $7.08

-2.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.33 $7.33

20.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.27 $1.27

-1.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$5.12 $5.12

-27.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.12 $4.12

30.83%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.48 $3.48

36.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.17 $11.17

23.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$12.93 $12.93

11.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$16.86 $16.86

9.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.27 $5.27

-0.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.06 $2.06

-3.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.58 $4.58

-11.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.35 $4.35

14.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.61 $1.61

65.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.62 $2.62

1.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.55 $2.55

-12.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.00 $3.00

4.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$13.49 $13.49

2.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$16.13 $16.13

-7.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.75 $1.75

45.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.04 $2.04

72.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$5.85 $5.85

-45.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$4.82 $4.82

-71.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.91 $0.91

31.87%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.0K $28.0K

25.33%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.20%

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

$194 $194

$192 $192

1.17%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$52.9 $52.9

31.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$52.5 $52.5

17.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$25.45 $25.45

88.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.37 $12.37

43.98%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$832 $832

115.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$33.8K $33.8K

-5.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$24.52 $24.52

173.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$37.34 $37.34

39.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$51.9 $51.9

95.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$81.0 $81.0

77.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,145 $2,145

17.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,570 $1,570

0.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$4,185 $4,185

13.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,494 $2,494

7.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$4,895 $4,895

-14.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$3,078 $3,078

-10.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$5,986 $5,986

-17.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.1

11.64%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth, NH: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Portsmouth, NH

$1.6K 56.8% 0.5% $8.3

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Portsmouth, NH

$423 15.3% 5.4% $24

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Portsmouth, NH

$305 11% 11.6% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Portsmouth, NH

$298 10.8% 8.6% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Portsmouth, NH

$88 3.2% 46.6% $76

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Portsmouth, NH

$30 * 1.1% 67.9% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Portsmouth, NH

$50 1.8% 39.9% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,145 in Portsmouth, NH. 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 21% higher in Portsmouth, NH, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $102 in Portsmouth, NH. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $423 in Portsmouth, NH – so Portsmouth, NH wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Portsmouth, NH

🕒 Local time

05:46 5:46 AM

06:46 6:46 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

95,535

💱 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 Portsmouth, NH 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Portsmouth, NH

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 Portsmouth, NH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,763 in Portsmouth, NH – Portsmouth, NH comes out roughly 9% 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 $4,145 in Portsmouth, NH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Portsmouth, NH, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,145 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $102 in Portsmouth, NH. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,763 in Portsmouth, NH. 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 $2,763 in Portsmouth, NH to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.