Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Meadville, PA: $1,836 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Meadville, PA
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Meadville, PA Living Index
152

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

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Meadville, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,836

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,836 per month in Meadville, PA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Meadville, PA $1,836
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $2,838 per month in Meadville, PA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Meadville, PA $2,838
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $3,839 per month in Meadville, PA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Meadville, PA $3,839
Chicago, IL $6,115

Meadville, PA is about 41% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Meadville, PA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Meadville, PA by 36%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.07 $14.07

$20.65 $20.65

-31.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 $54.9

$90.2 $90.2

-39.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 $11.91

$12.94 $12.94

-7.96%

Cappuccino

$3.28 $3.28

$5.60 $5.60

-41.43%

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

$1.73 $1.73

$2.64 $2.64

-34.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.27 $2.27

-14.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 $2.25

$6.98 $6.98

-67.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$8.83 $8.83

-18.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.27 $1.27

-31.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.23 $3.23

$3.80 $3.80

-15.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.69 $5.69

$5.30 $5.30

7.36%

Eggs

$3.41 $3.41

$4.76 $4.76

-28.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.31 $13.31

$13.96 $13.96

-4.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.42 $6.42

$14.61 $14.61

-56.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$18.77 $18.77

-29.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$5.19 $5.19

-37.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.98 $1.98

-34.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.93 $3.93

10.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$4.96 $4.96

2.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.76 $2.76

-4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.76 $2.76

7.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.22 $2.22

2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.98 $2.98

-21.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.01 $10.01

$14.02 $14.02

-28.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 $18.20

$15.28 $15.28

19.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.58 $2.58

-18.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.50 $3.50

11.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.47 $2.47

-24.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.34 $3.34

-23.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.43 $1.43

59.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.76 $45.76

$24.32 $24.32

88.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.26 $1.26

-11.11%

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

$21.7K $21.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

-38.15%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.1K $26.1K

0.55%

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

$329 $329

$193 $193

70.79%

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

$40.38 $40.38

$68.3 $68.3

-40.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.9 $63.9

$61.3 $61.3

4.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.97 $41.97

$54.1 $54.1

-22.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$12.76 $12.76

$17.74 $17.74

-28.07%

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

$1,530 $1,530

$1,652 $1,652

-7.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.3K $32.3K

$31.1K $31.1K

4.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 $52.4

$66.1 $66.1

-20.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.69 $44.69

$51.2 $51.2

-12.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.6 $79.6

$100 $100

-20.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$141 $141

-19.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$652 $652

$2,446 $2,446

-73.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 $594

$1,678 $1,678

-64.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 $1,628

$4,717 $4,717

-65.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 $1,353

$2,795 $2,795

-51.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,551 $2,551

$4,105 $4,105

-37.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,208 $2,208

$2,650 $2,650

-16.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,732 $1,732

$4,866 $4,866

-64.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

6.81

-8.96%

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

Last update for Meadville, 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

Meadville, PA

$594 32.4%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 182% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Meadville, PA

$433 23.6%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 25.6% $111

Groceries & Markets

Meadville, PA

$362 19.7%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 24.3% $88

Eating Out

Meadville, PA

$228 12.4%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 50.6% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Meadville, PA

$130 7.1%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 23.7% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Meadville, PA

$67 3.7%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 32.8% $22

Getting Around

Meadville, PA

$21 * 1.2%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 344% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $652 in Meadville, 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.

Salaries run about 181% 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 $55.0 in Meadville, PA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $449 – making Meadville, PA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Meadville, PA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

04:11 4:11 AM

03:11 3:11 AM

1 h behind Meadville, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,061

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Meadville, PA Chicago, IL 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Meadville, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,836 in Meadville, PA, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 71% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,754 per month in Meadville, 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 Meadville, 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 $55.0 in Meadville, 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 24% 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 $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Meadville, PA, where all-in costs run around $1,836, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Meadville, 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 $1,836 in Meadville, PA to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Meadville, 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.