Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and York, ME

For one person, living is cheaper in York, ME: $2,651 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 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
134

Cost of Living Index in York, ME
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York, ME Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

York, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,651

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,651 in York, ME, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
York, ME $2,651

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,762 in York, ME, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
York, ME $3,762

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,873 in York, ME, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
York, ME $4,873

Chicago, IL costs about 15% more than York, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and York, ME sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, York, ME by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$18.05 $18.05

14.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$50.2 $50.2

77.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$13.76 $13.76

-4.14%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.54 $5.54

2.17%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.82 $2.82

-6.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.82 $2.82

-19.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.91 $4.91

39.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.22 $8.22

7.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.08 $1.08

15.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.92 $3.92

-5.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.46 $5.46

-1.28%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$1.74 $1.74

172.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.10 $11.10

24.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$14.21 $14.21

1.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$11.19 $11.19

64.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.33 $4.33

20.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.81 $1.81

9.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.99 $3.99

1.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.46 $5.46

-8.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.86 $2.86

-6.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$4.03 $4.03

-34.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.54 $2.54

-11.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.08 $3.08

1.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.50 $8.50

62.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.65 $13.65

9.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.10 $2.10

20.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.11 $4.11

-14.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.93 $1.93

25.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$67.0 $67.0

9.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.82 $2.82

12.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.75 $1.75

-20.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$28.75 $28.75

-12.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.09 $1.09

10.09%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$19.4K $19.4K

80.30%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$16.2K $16.2K

64.85%

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

$194 $194

$321 $321

-39.43%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$104 $104

-33.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$85.8 $85.8

-28.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$35.48 $35.48

35.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.44 $14.44

23.34%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,811 $1,811

-0.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$30.0K $30.0K

6.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$56.0 $56.0

19.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$37.76 $37.76

38.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$78.9 $78.9

28.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$98.4 $98.4

46.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,751 $1,751

44.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,150 $1,150

37.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,217 $2,217

113.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,894 $1,894

42.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,945 $2,945

42.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,583 $2,583

7.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.64

2.56%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for York, ME: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

York, ME

$1.1K 43.4% 27.1% $428

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

York, ME

$402 15.2% 10.1% $45

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

York, ME

$316 11.9% 8.4% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

York, ME

$511 19.3% 56.9% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

York, ME

$122 4.6% 25.6% $42

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

York, ME

$86 3.3% 7.5% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

York, ME

$64 2.4% 22.9% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,751 in York, 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 $50 in York, ME. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $402 – making York, ME the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 York, ME

🕒 Local time

13:00 1:00 PM

14:00 2:00 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

44,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL York, ME 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
York, 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 York, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,651 in York, ME – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,977 in York, ME. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in York, ME, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,751 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

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 in Chicago, IL and $50 in York, ME. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in York, ME, where all-in costs run around $2,651, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In York, ME 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 $2,651 in York, ME to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, York, ME is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 15% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.