Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Reading, PA: $2,611 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Reading, PA
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Reading, PA Living Index
152

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

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Reading, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,611

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,611 per month in Reading, PA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Reading, PA $2,611
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,660 per month in Reading, PA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Reading, PA $3,660
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,709 per month in Reading, PA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Reading, PA $4,709
Chicago, IL $6,115

Reading, PA is about 17% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Reading, PA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Reading, PA by 93%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.19 $24.19

$20.65 $20.65

17.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.4 $65.4

$90.2 $90.2

-27.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 $11.65

$12.94 $12.94

-9.97%

Cappuccino

$4.45 $4.45

$5.60 $5.60

-20.54%

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

$2.40 $2.40

$2.64 $2.64

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.27 $2.27

-34.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 $6.47

$6.98 $6.98

-7.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$8.83 $8.83

-10.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.27 $1.27

0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.80 $3.80

-11.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$5.30 $5.30

-31.13%

Eggs

$5.17 $5.17

$4.76 $4.76

8.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 $13.43

$13.96 $13.96

-3.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.40 $13.40

$14.61 $14.61

-8.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$18.77 $18.77

-1.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$5.19 $5.19

-16.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.98 $1.98

1.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.93 $3.93

16.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$4.96 $4.96

-33.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.76 $2.76

-7.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.76 $2.76

-2.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.22 $2.22

4.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.98 $2.98

-40.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 $9.90

$14.02 $14.02

-29.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$15.28 $15.28

-0.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.58 $2.58

-33.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.50 $3.50

-12.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.34 $3.34

-7.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.43 $1.43

55.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.24 $42.24

$24.32 $24.32

73.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.26 $1.26

-19.84%

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

$32.1K $32.1K

$35.0K $35.0K

-8.42%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.28%

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

$212 $212

$193 $193

9.91%

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

$48.15 $48.15

$68.3 $68.3

-29.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 $52.8

$61.3 $61.3

-13.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.42 $35.42

$54.1 $54.1

-34.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$20.78 $20.78

$17.74 $17.74

17.14%

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

$3,314 $3,314

$1,652 $1,652

100.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

$31.1K $31.1K

93.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.4 $75.4

$66.1 $66.1

14.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.9 $51.9

$51.2 $51.2

1.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$100 $100

18.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$141 $141

-3.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 $1,493

$2,446 $2,446

-38.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 $1,288

$1,678 $1,678

-23.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 $2,050

$4,717 $4,717

-56.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,820 $1,820

$2,795 $2,795

-34.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,879 $1,879

$4,105 $4,105

-54.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,862 $1,862

$2,650 $2,650

-29.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,768 $2,768

$4,866 $4,866

-43.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

6.81

-2.94%

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

Last update for Reading, PA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reading, PA

$1.3K 49.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 30.2% $390

Groceries & Markets

Reading, PA

$402 15.4%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 11.9% $48

Eating Out

Reading, PA

$346 13.2%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 0.6% $2.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reading, PA

$313 12%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 3% $9.5

Clothing & Footwear

Reading, PA

$172 6.6%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 6.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Reading, PA

$77 3%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 16.4% $13

Getting Around

Reading, PA

$14 * 0.5%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 570% $81

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,493 in Reading, PA versus $2,446 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 76% 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 $65.0 in Reading, PA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $402 vs $449 – making Reading, PA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Reading, PA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

21:47 9:47 PM

20:47 8:47 PM

1 h behind Reading, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

88,082

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Reading, PA Chicago, IL 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Reading, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,611 in Reading, PA, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 20% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,917 per month in Reading, PA and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Reading, PA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Reading, PA and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,611 in Reading, PA and $3,139 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 $2,611 in Reading, PA to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Reading, 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.