Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Honesdale, PA: $2,703 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Honesdale, PA
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Honesdale, PA Living Index
147

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

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Honesdale, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,703

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Honesdale, PA and in Chicago, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Honesdale, PA and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,703 per month in Honesdale, PA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Honesdale, PA $2,703
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,897 per month in Honesdale, PA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Honesdale, PA $3,897
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,090 per month in Honesdale, PA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Honesdale, PA $5,090
Chicago, IL $5,999

Honesdale, PA is about 11% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Honesdale, PA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Honesdale, PA by 99%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.84 $19.84

$20.71 $20.71

-4.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.0 $74.0

$89.2 $89.2

-17.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 $11.69

$13.19 $13.19

-11.37%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$5.66 $5.66

-8.48%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$2.64 $2.64

2.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.28 $2.28

-13.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.57 $6.57

$6.87 $6.87

-4.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.55 $6.55

$8.84 $8.84

-25.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.25 $1.25

-12.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 $3.32

$3.72 $3.72

-10.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$5.39 $5.39

-20.04%

Eggs

$5.30 $5.30

$4.74 $4.74

11.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.63 $12.63

$13.84 $13.84

-8.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.51 $11.51

$14.40 $14.40

-20.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.05 $17.05

$18.38 $18.38

-7.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$5.22 $5.22

-6.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.98 $1.98

-17.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.06 $4.06

6.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.97 $4.97

-4.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.67 $2.67

14.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.66 $2.66

1.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.24 $2.24

-2.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.13 $3.13

-36.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.50 $9.50

$13.82 $13.82

-31.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 $14.84

$14.88 $14.88

-0.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.54 $2.54

-17.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.51 $3.51

0.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.43 $2.43

-25.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 $65.2

$73.5 $73.5

-11.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.18 $3.18

-2.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.39 $1.39

35.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.69 $30.69

$25.03 $25.03

22.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.20 $1.20

-8.33%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.44%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.02%

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

$279 $279

$194 $194

43.65%

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

$57.1 $57.1

$69.5 $69.5

-17.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$61.6 $61.6

38.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.99 $34.99

$47.90 $47.90

-26.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$13.90 $13.90

$17.81 $17.81

-21.95%

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

$1,355 $1,355

$1,794 $1,794

-24.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K $23.4K

$31.9K $31.9K

-26.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.66 $44.66

$67.0 $67.0

-33.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.58 $30.58

$52.1 $52.1

-41.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.0 $67.0

$102 $102

-34.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$144 $144

-29.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 $1,551

$2,526 $2,526

-38.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 $1,304

$1,578 $1,578

-17.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,578 $2,578

$4,738 $4,738

-45.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,135 $2,135

$2,693 $2,693

-20.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,051 $3,051

$4,190 $4,190

-27.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,104 $2,104

$2,768 $2,768

-24.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.81

-3.52%

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

Last update for Honesdale, PA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Honesdale, PA

$1.3K 48.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 21% $274

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Honesdale, PA

$422 15.6%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 22.8% $96

Groceries & Markets

Honesdale, PA

$399 14.8%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 12.2% $49

Eating Out

Honesdale, PA

$321 11.9%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 7.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Honesdale, PA

$110 4.1%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 49.6% $54

Getting Around

Honesdale, PA

$85 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 9.9% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Honesdale, PA

$63 2.3%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 33% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,551 in Honesdale, PA versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. 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 $74 in Honesdale, PA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $447 – making Honesdale, PA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Honesdale, PA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

16:01 4:01 PM

15:01 3:01 PM

1 h behind Honesdale, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,500

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Honesdale, PA Chicago, IL 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Honesdale, PA
Chicago, IL

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,703 in Honesdale, PA, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Honesdale, PA comes out roughly 11% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,054 per month in Honesdale, PA and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Honesdale, PA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,551 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Honesdale, PA and $89 in Chicago, IL. 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 Honesdale, PA, where all-in costs run around $2,703, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Honesdale, PA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Honesdale, PA is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 11% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.