Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Pittsburgh, PA: $2,525 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Pittsburgh, PA
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Pittsburgh, PA Living Index
153

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

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Pittsburgh, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,525

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,525 per month in Pittsburgh, PA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Pittsburgh, PA $2,525
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,630 per month in Pittsburgh, PA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Pittsburgh, PA $3,630
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $4,736 per month in Pittsburgh, PA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Pittsburgh, PA $4,736
Chicago, IL $6,077

Pittsburgh, PA is about 21% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Pittsburgh, PA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Pittsburgh, PA by 87%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.71 $19.71

$21.58 $21.58

-8.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 $60.1

$88.7 $88.7

-32.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 $9.81

$13.20 $13.20

-25.68%

Cappuccino

$4.84 $4.84

$5.59 $5.59

-13.42%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.63 $2.63

0.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.26 $2.26

-4.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.59 $6.59

$7.11 $7.11

-7.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.18 $8.18

$9.23 $9.23

-11.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.28 $1.28

-5.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 $3.74

$3.84 $3.84

-2.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$5.07 $5.07

-4.54%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 $14.71

$14.17 $14.17

3.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.62 $12.62

$14.61 $14.61

-13.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 $17.43

$18.76 $18.76

-7.09%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$5.19 $5.19

-0.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.00 $2.00

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$4.00 $4.00

1.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$4.98 $4.98

10.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.79 $2.79

-14.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.65 $2.65

-4.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.13 $2.13

12.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$3.09 $3.09

-35.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$16.05 $16.05

-31.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.76 $12.76

$15.20 $15.20

-16.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.62 $2.62

-20.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.46 $3.46

14.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.47 $2.47

13.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 $98.3

$75.1 $75.1

30.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.21 $3.21

23.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.39 $1.39

10.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.78 $20.78

$25.02 $25.02

-16.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.24 $1.24

-13.71%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$37.2K $37.2K

-0.27%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.8K $25.8K

-0.53%

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

$252 $252

$192 $192

30.85%

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

$53.5 $53.5

$67.8 $67.8

-21.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 $68.7

$60.9 $60.9

12.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.26 $44.26

$53.6 $53.6

-17.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.52 $28.52

$27.90 $27.90

2.22%

Cinema Ticket

$11.83 $11.83

$17.80 $17.80

-33.54%

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

$1,752 $1,752

$1,554 $1,554

12.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K $34.6K

$31.4K $31.4K

10.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.08 $46.08

$67.9 $67.9

-32.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.74 $47.74

$50.8 $50.8

-5.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 $72.9

$101 $101

-28.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$143 $143

-29.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 $1,587

$2,383 $2,383

-33.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 $1,112

$1,712 $1,712

-35.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 $2,442

$4,674 $4,674

-47.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,736 $1,736

$2,738 $2,738

-36.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,169 $3,169

$4,158 $4,158

-23.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,023 $2,023

$2,691 $2,691

-24.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,361 $4,361

$4,894 $4,894

-10.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

6.77

-3.69%

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

Last update for Pittsburgh, PA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pittsburgh, PA

$1.1K 44.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 53.9% $600

Groceries & Markets

Pittsburgh, PA

$416 16.5%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 8.6% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pittsburgh, PA

$374 14.8%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 14.1% $53

Eating Out

Pittsburgh, PA

$314 12.4%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 12.5% $39

Getting Around

Pittsburgh, PA

$121 4.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 21.5% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Pittsburgh, PA

$121 4.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 35.4% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Pittsburgh, PA

$68 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 31.3% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,587 in Pittsburgh, PA 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 12% 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 $60.0 in Pittsburgh, PA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $416 vs $451 – making Pittsburgh, PA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Pittsburgh, PA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

08:34 8:34 AM

07:34 7:34 AM

1 h behind Pittsburgh, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

311,647

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Pittsburgh, PA Chicago, IL 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Pittsburgh, PA
Chicago, IL

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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,525 in Pittsburgh, PA, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 26% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,788 per month in Pittsburgh, PA 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 Pittsburgh, PA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% 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 $60.0 in Pittsburgh, PA and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,525 in Pittsburgh, PA and $3,185 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 $2,525 in Pittsburgh, PA to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Pittsburgh, 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.