Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Morgantown, WV and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Morgantown, WV: $2,292 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Morgantown, WV
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Morgantown, WV Living Index
153

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

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Morgantown, WV

🇺🇸 United States

$2,292

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,292 per month in Morgantown, WV vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Morgantown, WV $2,292
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,457 per month in Morgantown, WV vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Morgantown, WV $3,457
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $4,622 per month in Morgantown, WV vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Morgantown, WV $4,622
Chicago, IL $6,077

Morgantown, WV is about 28% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Morgantown, WV and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Morgantown, WV by 70%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.12 $20.12

$21.58 $21.58

-6.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 $67.1

$88.7 $88.7

-24.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 $10.81

$13.20 $13.20

-18.11%

Cappuccino

$4.63 $4.63

$5.59 $5.59

-17.17%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$2.63 $2.63

3.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.26 $2.26

-2.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.62 $4.62

$7.11 $7.11

-35.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 $4.49

$9.23 $9.23

-51.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.28 $1.28

-36.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.84 $3.84

-41.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$5.07 $5.07

-25.84%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$4.84 $4.84

-11.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 $10.69

$14.17 $14.17

-24.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.30 $14.30

$14.61 $14.61

-2.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 $12.80

$18.76 $18.76

-31.77%

Apples (1kg)

$6.43 $6.43

$5.19 $5.19

23.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.00 $2.00

-4.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$4.00 $4.00

5.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$4.98 $4.98

4.62%

Potato (1kg)

$7.46 $7.46

$2.79 $2.79

167.38%

Onion (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$2.65 $2.65

104.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.13 $2.13

-9.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.09 $3.09

-17.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.20 $10.20

$16.05 $16.05

-36.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 $14.23

$15.20 $15.20

-6.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.62 $2.62

-34.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.46 $3.46

-8.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.47 $2.47

-21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.8 $78.8

$75.1 $75.1

4.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.21 $3.21

52.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.39 $1.39

120.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.60 $35.60

$25.02 $25.02

42.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.24 $1.24

-25.81%

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

$22.9K $22.9K

$37.2K $37.2K

-38.51%

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

$24.1K $24.1K

$25.8K $25.8K

-6.75%

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

$451 $451

$192 $192

134.79%

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

$38.63 $38.63

$67.8 $67.8

-43.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.6 $72.6

$60.9 $60.9

19.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.38 $17.38

$53.6 $53.6

-67.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.8 $50.8

$27.90 $27.90

81.97%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 $15.73

$17.80 $17.80

-11.63%

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

$598 $598

$1,554 $1,554

-61.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$64.2K $64.2K

$31.4K $31.4K

104.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 $57.4

$67.9 $67.9

-15.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.41 $25.41

$50.8 $50.8

-49.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.1 $74.1

$101 $101

-26.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 $69.7

$143 $143

-51.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 $980

$2,383 $2,383

-58.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$766 $766

$1,712 $1,712

-55.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 $1,821

$4,674 $4,674

-61.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,541 $1,541

$2,738 $2,738

-43.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,929 $1,929

$4,158 $4,158

-53.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,769 $1,769

$2,691 $2,691

-34.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,127 $4,127

$4,894 $4,894

-15.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.77

-1.62%

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

Last update for Morgantown, WV: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Morgantown, WV

$766 33.4%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 124% $946

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Morgantown, WV

$563 24.5%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 43% $242

Groceries & Markets

Morgantown, WV

$406 17.7%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 11.2% $45

Eating Out

Morgantown, WV

$301 13.1%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 17.4% $52

Getting Around

Morgantown, WV

$107 4.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 11% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Morgantown, WV

$102 4.5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 60.4% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Morgantown, WV

$49 2.1%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 82.6% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Morgantown, WV versus $2,383 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 19% 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 $67.0 in Morgantown, WV versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $406 vs $451 – making Morgantown, WV the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Morgantown, WV

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

09:21 9:21 AM

08:21 8:21 AM

1 h behind Morgantown, WV

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,347

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

Morgantown, WV Chicago, IL 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Morgantown, WV
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

Morgantown, WV vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,292 in Morgantown, WV, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,439 per month in Morgantown, WV and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 11% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Morgantown, WV and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Morgantown, WV, where all-in costs run around $2,292, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In Morgantown, WV 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 $2,292 in Morgantown, WV to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Morgantown, WV. 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.