Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Philadelphia, PA: $2,823 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

136

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

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

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Philadelphia, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,823

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,823 per month in Philadelphia, PA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Philadelphia, PA $2,823
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,218 per month in Philadelphia, PA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Philadelphia, PA $4,218
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,612 per month in Philadelphia, PA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Philadelphia, PA $5,612
Chicago, IL $5,999

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

Both Philadelphia, PA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Philadelphia, PA by 107%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.40 $23.40

$20.71 $20.71

12.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$89.2 $89.2

-4.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.73 $12.73

$13.19 $13.19

-3.49%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$5.66 $5.66

-6.01%

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

$3.00 $3.00

$2.64 $2.64

13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.28 $2.28

-2.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 $5.83

$6.87 $6.87

-15.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 $8.14

$8.84 $8.84

-7.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.25 $1.25

16.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.72 $3.72

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.04 $7.04

$5.39 $5.39

30.61%

Eggs

$4.93 $4.93

$4.74 $4.74

4.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 $11.93

$13.84 $13.84

-13.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.45 $12.45

$14.40 $14.40

-13.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 $17.21

$18.38 $18.38

-6.37%

Apples (1kg)

$5.59 $5.59

$5.22 $5.22

7.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.98 $1.98

-19.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.56 $5.56

$4.06 $4.06

36.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$4.97 $4.97

12.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.67 $2.67

7.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.66 $2.66

19.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.24 $2.24

14.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.13 $3.13

-19.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.03 $12.03

$13.82 $13.82

-12.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$14.88 $14.88

2.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.54 $2.54

-8.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.51 $3.51

24.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.43 $2.43

22.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 $117

$73.5 $73.5

58.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.18 $3.18

-11.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.39 $1.39

13.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.53 $23.53

$25.03 $25.03

-5.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.20 $1.20

-8.33%

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

$31.8K $31.8K

$35.0K $35.0K

-9.24%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.19%

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

$224 $224

$194 $194

15.02%

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

$64.9 $64.9

$69.5 $69.5

-6.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.5 $67.5

$61.6 $61.6

9.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.1 $71.1

$47.90 $47.90

48.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$88.9 $88.9

$27.34 $27.34

225.05%

Cinema Ticket

$15.13 $15.13

$17.81 $17.81

-15.05%

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

$2,117 $2,117

$1,794 $1,794

18.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.8K $41.8K

$31.9K $31.9K

30.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 $50.2

$67.0 $67.0

-25.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.91 $43.91

$52.1 $52.1

-15.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$102 $102

1.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$144 $144

-1.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,069 $2,069

$2,526 $2,526

-18.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,578 $1,578

-19.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,571 $4,571

$4,738 $4,738

-3.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 $2,103

$2,693 $2,693

-21.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,141 $4,141

$4,190 $4,190

-1.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,890 $1,890

$2,768 $2,768

-31.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,139 $4,139

$4,931 $4,931

-16.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.81

-2.20%

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

Last update for Philadelphia, PA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Philadelphia, PA

$1.3K 44.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 24.4% $309

Groceries & Markets

Philadelphia, PA

$450 15.9%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 0.5% $2.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Philadelphia, PA

$356 12.6%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 8.6% $31

Eating Out

Philadelphia, PA

$356 12.6%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 3% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Philadelphia, PA

$152 5.4%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 7.7% $12

Getting Around

Philadelphia, PA

$139 4.9%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 33% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Philadelphia, PA

$101 3.6%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 17.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,069 in Philadelphia, 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.

Salaries run about 19% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Philadelphia, PA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $450 in Philadelphia, PA vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Philadelphia, PA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

01:33 1:33 AM

00:33 12:33 AM

1 h behind Philadelphia, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,573,916

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Philadelphia, PA Chicago, IL 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Philadelphia, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,823 in Philadelphia, PA, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,235 per month in Philadelphia, 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 Philadelphia, PA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,069 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Philadelphia, PA 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 37% less in Chicago, IL. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,823 in Philadelphia, PA and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Philadelphia, PA costs $2,823 versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Philadelphia, 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.