Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portland, ME and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,262 in Portland, ME, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

158

Cost of Living Index in Portland, ME
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Portland, ME Living Index
147

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

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Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$3,262

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,262 per month in Portland, ME vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Portland, ME $3,262
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,710 per month in Portland, ME vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Portland, ME $4,710
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $6,158 per month in Portland, ME vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Portland, ME $6,158
Chicago, IL $5,999

Portland, ME costs about 7% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Portland, ME and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Portland, ME by 140%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.87 $24.87

$20.71 $20.71

20.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$89.2 $89.2

34.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.86 $14.86

$13.19 $13.19

12.66%

Cappuccino

$6.12 $6.12

$5.66 $5.66

8.13%

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

$3.01 $3.01

$2.64 $2.64

14.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.28 $2.28

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.87 $6.87

17.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.04 $8.04

$8.84 $8.84

-9.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.25 $1.25

-12.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.64 $4.64

$3.72 $3.72

24.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.56 $8.56

$5.39 $5.39

58.81%

Eggs

$3.92 $3.92

$4.74 $4.74

-17.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$13.84 $13.84

35.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 $10.33

$14.40 $14.40

-28.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 $16.45

$18.38 $18.38

-10.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$5.22 $5.22

-11.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.98 $1.98

-14.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.85 $5.85

$4.06 $4.06

44.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.84 $6.84

$4.97 $4.97

37.63%

Potato (1kg)

$6.36 $6.36

$2.67 $2.67

138.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.66 $2.66

42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.19 $3.19

$2.24 $2.24

42.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.13 $3.13

-18.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.12 $12.12

$13.82 $13.82

-12.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 $15.06

$14.88 $14.88

1.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.54 $2.54

-25.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.51 $3.51

-27.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.43 $2.43

-18.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.5 $60.5

$73.5 $73.5

-17.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.18 $3.18

-36.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.39 $1.39

13.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.80 $10.80

$25.03 $25.03

-56.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.20 $1.20

-13.33%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.37%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.10%

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

$224 $224

$194 $194

15.09%

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

$69.5 $69.5

0.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.4 $76.4

$61.6 $61.6

23.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 $51.8

$47.90 $47.90

8.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.22 $39.22

$27.34 $27.34

43.45%

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 $13.96

$17.81 $17.81

-21.62%

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

$1,263 $1,263

$1,794 $1,794

-29.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$67.0 $67.0

-21.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.2 $81.2

$52.1 $52.1

55.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

0.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$144 $144

-7.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 $2,102

$2,526 $2,526

-16.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 $1,703

$1,578 $1,578

7.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 $3,156

$4,738 $4,738

-33.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 $2,524

$2,693 $2,693

-6.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,509 $5,509

$4,190 $4,190

31.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,978 $3,978

$2,768 $2,768

43.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,598 $4,598

$4,931 $4,931

-6.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.81

-4.55%

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

Last update for Portland, ME: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Portland, ME

$1.7K 52.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 7.3% $125

Groceries & Markets

Portland, ME

$470 14.4%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 4.8% $23

Eating Out

Portland, ME

$395 12.1%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 12.7% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portland, ME

$370 11.3%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 11.9% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Portland, ME

$166 5.1%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 1.1% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Portland, ME

$80 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 4.8% $3.8

Getting Around

Portland, ME

$78 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 19.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,102 in Portland, ME 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 7% higher in Chicago, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in Portland, ME versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $470 vs $447 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Portland, ME

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

15:50 3:50 PM

1 h behind Portland, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

652,503

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Portland, ME Chicago, IL 1,430 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Portland, ME
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

Portland, ME vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,262 in Portland, ME, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,893 per month in Portland, ME 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 Portland, ME, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,102 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Portland, ME, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in Portland, ME and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,262 in Portland, ME 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. Chicago, IL costs $3,037 versus $3,262 in Portland, ME. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.