Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lewiston, ME: $2,834 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Lewiston, ME
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Lewiston, ME Living Index
147

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

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Lewiston, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,834

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,834 per month in Lewiston, ME vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lewiston, ME $2,834
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,213 per month in Lewiston, ME vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lewiston, ME $4,213
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,592 per month in Lewiston, ME vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lewiston, ME $5,592
Chicago, IL $5,999

Lewiston, ME is about 7% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lewiston, ME and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Lewiston, ME by 108%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.19 $18.19

$20.71 $20.71

-12.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.7 $94.7

$89.2 $89.2

6.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.44 $13.44

$13.19 $13.19

1.90%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$5.66 $5.66

-6.01%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$2.64 $2.64

10.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.28 $2.28

23.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$6.87 $6.87

-28.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 $8.12

$8.84 $8.84

-8.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.25 $1.25

-13.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.72 $3.72

5.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.49 $5.49

$5.39 $5.39

1.86%

Eggs

$4.91 $4.91

$4.74 $4.74

3.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.27 $11.27

$13.84 $13.84

-18.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.20 $14.20

$14.40 $14.40

-1.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.61 $17.61

$18.38 $18.38

-4.19%

Apples (1kg)

$6.56 $6.56

$5.22 $5.22

25.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.98 $1.98

-9.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.06 $4.06

66.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$4.97 $4.97

10.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.67 $2.67

7.12%

Onion (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.66 $2.66

63.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.24 $2.24

31.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.13 $3.13

-29.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.00 $9.00

$13.82 $13.82

-34.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.32 $13.32

$14.88 $14.88

-10.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.54 $2.54

-14.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 $4.24

$3.51 $3.51

20.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.43 $2.43

-25.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.3 $63.3

$73.5 $73.5

-13.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.18 $3.18

-3.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.39 $1.39

11.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.63 $31.63

$25.03 $25.03

26.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.20 $1.20

-14.17%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$35.0K $35.0K

-22.63%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

0.16%

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

$323 $323

$194 $194

65.88%

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

$103 $103

$69.5 $69.5

48.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.6 $83.6

$61.6 $61.6

35.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.22 $45.22

$47.90 $47.90

-5.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$14.34 $14.34

$17.81 $17.81

-19.48%

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

$1,816 $1,816

$1,794 $1,794

1.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.4K $29.4K

$31.9K $31.9K

-7.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.10 $16.10

$67.0 $67.0

-75.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.03 $39.03

$52.1 $52.1

-25.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 $79.5

$102 $102

-21.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$144 $144

-29.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 $981

$2,526 $2,526

-61.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 $1,301

$1,578 $1,578

-17.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,532 $2,532

$4,738 $4,738

-46.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,291 $2,291

$2,693 $2,693

-14.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,531 $2,531

$4,190 $4,190

-39.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,305 $2,305

$2,768 $2,768

-16.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.81

-2.50%

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

Last update for Lewiston, ME: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lewiston, ME

$1.3K 45.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 21.3% $277

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lewiston, ME

$509 18%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 36.1% $184

Groceries & Markets

Lewiston, ME

$449 15.8%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 0.3% $1.3

Eating Out

Lewiston, ME

$314 11.1%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 10% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Lewiston, ME

$106 3.7%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 54.6% $58

Getting Around

Lewiston, ME

$81 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 14.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Lewiston, ME

$74 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 13% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $981 in Lewiston, ME 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 $95 in Lewiston, ME versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $447 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lewiston, ME

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

00:30 12:30 AM

23:30 11:30 PM

1 h behind Lewiston, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,226

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lewiston, ME Chicago, IL 1,430 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Lewiston, ME
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,834 in Lewiston, ME, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Lewiston, ME comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,251 per month in Lewiston, ME 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 Lewiston, ME, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $981 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95 in Lewiston, ME and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Lewiston, ME. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,834 in Lewiston, ME and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. 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 $2,834 in Lewiston, ME to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.