Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in York, PA: $2,310 a month against $3,169 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 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
111

Cost of Living Index in York, PA
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York, PA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,169

/mo nomad

York, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,169 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,310 in York, PA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,169
York, PA $2,310

A couple spends around $4,682 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,475 in York, PA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,682
York, PA $3,475

A family of three spends $6,196 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,641 in York, PA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,196
York, PA $4,641

Chicago, IL costs about 37% more than York, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and York, PA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, York, PA by 72%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.62 $21.62

$15.04 $15.04

43.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 $91.2

$74.9 $74.9

21.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.09 $13.09

$10.19 $10.19

28.46%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$4.94 $4.94

17.00%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.88 $2.88

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.29 $2.29

-0.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 $6.94

$4.01 $4.01

73.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.93 $8.93

$5.68 $5.68

57.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.33 $1.33

-4.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 $3.94

$4.03 $4.03

-2.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$7.22 $7.22

-31.30%

Eggs

$4.64 $4.64

$5.28 $5.28

-12.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 $13.97

$17.20 $17.20

-18.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.37 $14.37

$15.23 $15.23

-5.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 $18.59

$18.24 $18.24

1.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$6.85 $6.85

-21.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.30 $2.30

-16.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$4.97 $4.97

-19.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$5.91 $5.91

-16.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.91 $2.91

-3.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.78 $3.78

-26.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.55 $2.55

-15.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.06 $2.06

51.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.71 $15.71

$13.77 $13.77

14.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 $15.23

$13.42 $13.42

13.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.92 $1.92

33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.78 $3.78

-7.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.75 $1.75

41.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.4 $74.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 $3.23

$4.06 $4.06

-20.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.63 $1.63

-12.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.33 $24.33

$19.73 $19.73

23.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.96 $0.96

30.21%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$30.2K $30.2K

18.95%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.9K $26.9K

-3.55%

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

$195 $195

$207 $207

-6.22%

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

$69.0 $69.0

$55.5 $55.5

24.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.1 $62.1

$79.1 $79.1

-21.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 $54.5

$47.83 $47.83

13.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.80 $27.80

$34.95 $34.95

-20.46%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$11.87 $11.87

50.29%

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

$1,513 $1,513

$1,084 $1,084

39.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$39.3K $39.3K

-20.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.1 $68.1

$50.9 $50.9

33.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 $51.6

$43.62 $43.62

18.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$69.3 $69.3

46.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$90.9 $90.9

55.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,437 $2,437

$1,385 $1,385

76.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 $1,662

$1,008 $1,008

64.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,644 $4,644

$1,946 $1,946

138.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 $2,751

$1,707 $1,707

61.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,036 $4,036

$1,856 $1,856

117.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,677 $2,677

$1,825 $1,825

46.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,861 $4,861

$4,015 $4,015

21.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.63

2.11%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 6, 2026

Last update for York, PA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53%

York, PA

$1K 43.9% 39.4% $654

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$450 14.3%

York, PA

$479 20.9% 6.5% $29

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$354 11.3%

York, PA

$262 11.4% 25.9% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.4%

York, PA

$342 14.9% 5% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$163 5.2%

York, PA

$115 5% 29.7% $48

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

York, PA

$19 * 0.8% 79.7% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

York, PA

$72 3.1% 20.6% $19

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,437 in Chicago, IL versus $1,385 in York, 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 21% 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 $91.0 in Chicago, IL versus $75.0 in York, PA. Groceries tell a different story – $450 in Chicago, IL vs $479 in York, PA – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 York, PA

🕒 Local time

16:33 4:33 PM

17:33 5:33 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

44,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL York, PA 940 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,169 in Chicago, IL, $2,310 in York, PA – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,753 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,464 in York, PA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Chicago, IL and $75.0 in York, PA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in York, PA, where all-in costs run around $2,310, than in Chicago, IL at $3,169. In York, PA 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 $2,310 in York, PA to $3,169 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with York, 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.