Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Presque Isle, ME and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Presque Isle, ME: $2,627 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Presque Isle, ME
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Presque Isle, ME Living Index
147

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

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Presque Isle, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,627

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,627 per month in Presque Isle, ME vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Presque Isle, ME $2,627
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,813 per month in Presque Isle, ME vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Presque Isle, ME $3,813
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,999 per month in Presque Isle, ME vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Presque Isle, ME $4,999
Chicago, IL $5,999

Presque Isle, ME is about 13% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Presque Isle, ME and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Presque Isle, ME by 93%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.75 $17.75

$20.71 $20.71

-14.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.58 $44.58

$89.2 $89.2

-50.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 $11.72

$13.19 $13.19

-11.14%

Cappuccino

$5.53 $5.53

$5.66 $5.66

-2.30%

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

$1.96 $1.96

$2.64 $2.64

-25.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 $1.26

$2.28 $2.28

-44.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 $3.49

$6.87 $6.87

-49.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 $4.98

$8.84 $8.84

-43.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.25 $1.25

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.72 $3.72

17.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$5.39 $5.39

-18.55%

Eggs

$4.37 $4.37

$4.74 $4.74

-7.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.71 $16.71

$13.84 $13.84

20.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.14 $17.14

$14.40 $14.40

19.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 $14.58

$18.38 $18.38

-20.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.22 $5.22

-4.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.98 $1.98

-29.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$4.06 $4.06

8.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$4.97 $4.97

54.93%

Potato (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.67 $2.67

71.54%

Onion (1kg)

$7.24 $7.24

$2.66 $2.66

172.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.24 $2.24

34.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$3.13 $3.13

-27.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.55 $11.55

$13.82 $13.82

-16.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

$14.88 $14.88

-0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.54 $2.54

-22.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.51 $3.51

-3.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.43 $2.43

-11.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.2 $52.2

$73.5 $73.5

-28.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.18 $3.18

-5.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.39 $1.39

30.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.25 $28.25

$25.03 $25.03

12.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.20 $1.20

-10.00%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.43%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.53%

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

$197 $197

$194 $194

1.50%

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

$54.3 $54.3

$69.5 $69.5

-21.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.9 $86.9

$61.6 $61.6

41.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.58 $39.58

$47.90 $47.90

-17.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$13.50 $13.50

$17.81 $17.81

-24.20%

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

$1,513 $1,513

$1,794 $1,794

-15.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K $23.4K

$31.9K $31.9K

-26.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 $53.1

$67.0 $67.0

-20.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.24 $41.24

$52.1 $52.1

-20.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 $87.4

$102 $102

-13.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$144 $144

-18.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 $1,552

$2,526 $2,526

-38.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 $1,262

$1,578 $1,578

-20.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 $2,566

$4,738 $4,738

-45.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,139 $2,139

$2,693 $2,693

-20.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,474 $2,474

$4,190 $4,190

-40.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,269 $2,269

$2,768 $2,768

-18.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.81

-3.52%

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

Last update for Presque Isle, ME: 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

Presque Isle, ME

$1.3K 48%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 25.1% $316

Groceries & Markets

Presque Isle, ME

$469 17.9%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 4.7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Presque Isle, ME

$339 12.9%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 3.9% $13

Eating Out

Presque Isle, ME

$284 10.8%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 21.6% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Presque Isle, ME

$134 5.1%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 22.1% $30

Getting Around

Presque Isle, ME

$73 2.8%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 28.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Presque Isle, ME

$67 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 25.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,552 in Presque Isle, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Presque Isle, ME versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $469 in Presque Isle, ME vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Presque Isle, ME

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

02:38 2:38 AM

01:38 1:38 AM

1 h behind Presque Isle, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,500

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Presque Isle, ME Chicago, IL 1,640 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Presque Isle, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,627 in Presque Isle, ME, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Presque Isle, ME comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,940 per month in Presque Isle, 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 Presque Isle, ME, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,552 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Presque Isle, ME and $89 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 $2,627 in Presque Isle, ME and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Presque Isle, ME – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.