Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portsmouth, NH and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Portsmouth, NH: $2,763 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Portsmouth, NH
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Portsmouth, NH Living Index
147

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

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Portsmouth, NH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,763

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,763 per month in Portsmouth, NH vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Portsmouth, NH $2,763
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,026 per month in Portsmouth, NH vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Portsmouth, NH $4,026
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,289 per month in Portsmouth, NH vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Portsmouth, NH $5,289
Chicago, IL $5,999

Portsmouth, NH is about 9% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Portsmouth, NH and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Portsmouth, NH by 103%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.24 $20.24

$20.71 $20.71

-2.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$89.2 $89.2

13.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 $8.96

$13.19 $13.19

-32.07%

Cappuccino

$4.11 $4.11

$5.66 $5.66

-27.39%

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

$2.64 $2.64

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.28 $2.28

-32.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 $7.08

$6.87 $6.87

3.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.33 $7.33

$8.84 $8.84

-17.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.25 $1.25

1.60%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.72 $3.72

37.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$5.39 $5.39

-23.56%

Eggs

$3.48 $3.48

$4.74 $4.74

-26.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 $11.17

$13.84 $13.84

-19.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.93 $12.93

$14.40 $14.40

-10.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.86 $16.86

$18.38 $18.38

-8.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$5.22 $5.22

0.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.98 $1.98

4.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$4.06 $4.06

12.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$4.97 $4.97

-12.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.67 $2.67

-39.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.66 $2.66

-1.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.24 $2.24

13.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$3.13 $3.13

-4.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.49 $13.49

$13.82 $13.82

-2.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.13 $16.13

$14.88 $14.88

8.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.54 $2.54

-31.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.51 $3.51

-41.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 $5.85

$3.18 $3.18

83.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.82 $4.82

$1.39 $1.39

246.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.20 $1.20

-24.17%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$35.0K $35.0K

-20.21%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.16%

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

$192 $192

$194 $194

-1.15%

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

$52.9 $52.9

$69.5 $69.5

-23.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 $52.5

$61.6 $61.6

-14.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.45 $25.45

$47.90 $47.90

-46.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 $12.37

$17.81 $17.81

-30.54%

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

$832 $832

$1,794 $1,794

-53.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K $33.8K

$31.9K $31.9K

5.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.52 $24.52

$67.0 $67.0

-63.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.34 $37.34

$52.1 $52.1

-28.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.9 $51.9

$102 $102

-48.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 $81.0

$144 $144

-43.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,145 $2,145

$2,526 $2,526

-15.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 $1,570

$1,578 $1,578

-0.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,185 $4,185

$4,738 $4,738

-11.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 $2,494

$2,693 $2,693

-7.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,895 $4,895

$4,190 $4,190

16.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,078 $3,078

$2,768 $2,768

11.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,986 $5,986

$4,931 $4,931

21.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

6.81

-10.43%

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

Last update for Portsmouth, NH: 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

Portsmouth, NH

$1.6K 56.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 0.5% $8.3

Groceries & Markets

Portsmouth, NH

$423 15.3%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 5.7% $24

Eating Out

Portsmouth, NH

$305 11%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 13.1% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portsmouth, NH

$298 10.8%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 9.4% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Portsmouth, NH

$88 3.2%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 87.1% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Portsmouth, NH

$50 1.8%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 66.4% $33

Getting Around

Portsmouth, NH

$30 * 1.1%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 212% $63

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,145 in Portsmouth, NH 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 21% higher in Portsmouth, NH, 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 $102 in Portsmouth, NH versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $423 in Portsmouth, NH vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Portsmouth, NH wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Portsmouth, NH

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

04:59 4:59 AM

03:59 3:59 AM

1 h behind Portsmouth, NH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,535

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Portsmouth, NH Chicago, IL 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Portsmouth, NH
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

Portsmouth, NH vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,763 in Portsmouth, NH, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Portsmouth, NH comes out roughly 9% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,145 per month in Portsmouth, NH 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 Portsmouth, NH, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,145 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Portsmouth, NH and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,763 in Portsmouth, NH and $3,037 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 $2,763 in Portsmouth, NH to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.