Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Presque Isle, ME

For one person, living is cheaper in Presque Isle, ME: $2,627 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Presque Isle, ME
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Presque Isle, ME Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Presque Isle, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,627

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Presque Isle, ME

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 Presque Isle, ME actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,627 in Presque Isle, ME, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Presque Isle, ME $2,627

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,813 in Presque Isle, ME, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Presque Isle, ME $3,813

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,999 in Presque Isle, ME, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Presque Isle, ME $4,999

Chicago, IL costs about 16% more than Presque Isle, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Presque Isle, ME sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Presque Isle, ME by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$17.75 $17.75

16.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$44.58 $44.58

100.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.72 $11.72

12.54%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.53 $5.53

2.35%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.96 $1.96

34.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.26 $1.26

80.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$3.49 $3.49

96.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$4.98 $4.98

77.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.75 $0.75

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.36 $4.36

-14.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.39 $4.39

22.78%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.37 $4.37

8.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$16.71 $16.71

-17.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$17.14 $17.14

-15.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$14.58 $14.58

26.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.98 $4.98

4.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.40 $1.40

41.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.39 $4.39

-7.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$7.70 $7.70

-35.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.58 $4.58

-41.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$7.24 $7.24

-63.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.02 $3.02

-25.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.28 $2.28

37.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.55 $11.55

19.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.86 $14.86

0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.98 $1.98

28.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.40 $3.40

3.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.14 $2.14

13.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$52.2 $52.2

40.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.99 $2.99

6.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.81 $1.81

-23.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$28.25 $28.25

-11.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.08 $1.08

11.11%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.2K $28.2K

24.12%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.55%

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

$194 $194

$197 $197

-1.48%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$54.3 $54.3

27.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$86.9 $86.9

-29.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$39.58 $39.58

21.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$13.50 $13.50

31.93%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,513 $1,513

18.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$23.4K $23.4K

36.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$53.1 $53.1

26.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$41.24 $41.24

26.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$87.4 $87.4

16.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$117 $117

23.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,552 $1,552

62.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,262 $1,262

25.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,566 $2,566

84.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,139 $2,139

25.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,474 $2,474

69.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,269 $2,269

21.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

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 Presque Isle, ME: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Presque Isle, ME

$1.3K 48% 20.1% $316

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Presque Isle, ME

$469 17.9% 4.9% $22

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Presque Isle, ME

$284 10.8% 17.7% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Presque Isle, ME

$339 12.9% 4% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Presque Isle, ME

$134 5.1% 18.1% $30

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Presque Isle, ME

$73 2.8% 22% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Presque Isle, ME

$67 2.5% 20.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,552 in Presque Isle, ME. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $45 in Presque Isle, ME. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $469 in Presque Isle, ME – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Presque Isle, ME

🕒 Local time

01:52 1:52 AM

02:52 2:52 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

8,500

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Presque Isle, ME 1,640 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Presque Isle, ME

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 Presque Isle, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,627 in Presque Isle, ME – Presque Isle, ME comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,940 in Presque Isle, ME. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Presque Isle, ME, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,552 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $45 in Presque Isle, ME. 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 $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,627 in Presque Isle, ME. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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