Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lower Burrell, PA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Lower Burrell, PA: $2,599 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Lower Burrell, PA
Learn more

Lower Burrell, PA Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Lower Burrell, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,599

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,599 per month in Lower Burrell, PA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lower Burrell, PA $2,599
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,722 per month in Lower Burrell, PA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lower Burrell, PA $3,722
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,845 per month in Lower Burrell, PA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lower Burrell, PA $4,845
Chicago, IL $6,115

Lower Burrell, PA is about 17% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lower Burrell, PA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Lower Burrell, PA by 92%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.82 $17.82

$20.65 $20.65

-13.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 $61.8

$90.2 $90.2

-31.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 $9.47

$12.94 $12.94

-26.82%

Cappuccino

$5.69 $5.69

$5.60 $5.60

1.61%

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

$2.29 $2.29

$2.64 $2.64

-13.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.27 $2.27

-27.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.18 $4.18

$6.98 $6.98

-40.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 $5.15

$8.83 $8.83

-41.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.27 $1.27

-34.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.80 $3.80

-11.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$5.30 $5.30

-17.92%

Eggs

$4.48 $4.48

$4.76 $4.76

-5.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 $13.54

$13.96 $13.96

-3.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$14.61 $14.61

-14.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.96 $19.96

$18.77 $18.77

6.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.19 $5.19

-4.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.98 $1.98

-18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.93 $3.93

2.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$4.96 $4.96

-20.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.76 $2.76

6.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.76 $2.76

19.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.22 $2.22

-0.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.98 $2.98

-30.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.70 $9.70

$14.02 $14.02

-30.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$15.28 $15.28

-1.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.58 $2.58

-6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.50 $3.50

3.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.47 $2.47

-17.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 $2.70

$3.34 $3.34

-19.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.43 $1.43

5.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.21 $26.21

$24.32 $24.32

7.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.26 $1.26

-18.25%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

1.32%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.05%

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

$220 $220

$193 $193

14.05%

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

$65.3 $65.3

$68.3 $68.3

-4.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$61.3 $61.3

18.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.48 $41.48

$54.1 $54.1

-23.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$13.51 $13.51

$17.74 $17.74

-23.84%

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

$1,090 $1,090

$1,652 $1,652

-34.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K $18.6K

$31.1K $31.1K

-39.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 $62.3

$66.1 $66.1

-5.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 $39.82

$51.2 $51.2

-22.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 $80.2

$100 $100

-19.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$141 $141

-16.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 $1,595

$2,446 $2,446

-34.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 $1,325

$1,678 $1,678

-21.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,489 $2,489

$4,717 $4,717

-47.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 $2,114

$2,795 $2,795

-24.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,452 $2,452

$4,105 $4,105

-40.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,121 $2,121

$2,650 $2,650

-19.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.81

-3.23%

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

Last update for Lower Burrell, PA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lower Burrell, PA

$1.3K 51%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 26.7% $353

Groceries & Markets

Lower Burrell, PA

$409 15.7%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 10% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lower Burrell, PA

$358 13.8%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 10% $36

Eating Out

Lower Burrell, PA

$286 11%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 20% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Lower Burrell, PA

$135 5.2%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 19.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Lower Burrell, PA

$69 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 30.8% $21

Getting Around

Lower Burrell, PA

$18 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 417% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,595 in Lower Burrell, PA versus $2,446 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 $62.0 in Lower Burrell, PA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $449 – making Lower Burrell, PA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lower Burrell, PA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

23:39 11:39 PM

22:39 10:39 PM

1 h behind Lower Burrell, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,350

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lower Burrell, PA Chicago, IL 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Lower Burrell, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,599 in Lower Burrell, PA, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,899 per month in Lower Burrell, PA and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lower Burrell, 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 $62.0 in Lower Burrell, PA and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% 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.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,599 in Lower Burrell, PA and $3,139 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 $2,599 in Lower Burrell, PA to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Lower Burrell, 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.