Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Scranton, PA: $2,386 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Scranton, PA
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Scranton, PA Living Index
147

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

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Scranton, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,386

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,386 per month in Scranton, PA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Scranton, PA $2,386
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,328 per month in Scranton, PA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Scranton, PA $3,328
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,270 per month in Scranton, PA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Scranton, PA $4,270
Chicago, IL $5,999

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

Both Scranton, PA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Scranton, PA by 75%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.79 $11.79

$20.71 $20.71

-43.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 $77.1

$89.2 $89.2

-13.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.01 $6.01

$13.19 $13.19

-54.44%

Cappuccino

$4.37 $4.37

$5.66 $5.66

-22.79%

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

$1.52 $1.52

$2.64 $2.64

-42.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.28 $2.28

-55.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.71 $6.71

$6.87 $6.87

-2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.69 $7.69

$8.84 $8.84

-13.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.25 $1.25

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 $1.38

$3.72 $3.72

-62.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$5.39 $5.39

-60.48%

Eggs

$3.31 $3.31

$4.74 $4.74

-30.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.91 $10.91

$13.84 $13.84

-21.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.67 $8.67

$14.40 $14.40

-39.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 $11.19

$18.38 $18.38

-39.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$5.22 $5.22

-29.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.98 $1.98

-35.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$4.06 $4.06

-17.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$4.97 $4.97

-10.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.67 $2.67

12.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.66 $2.66

21.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.24 $2.24

-9.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$3.13 $3.13

-67.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.28 $9.28

$13.82 $13.82

-32.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.04 $12.04

$14.88 $14.88

-19.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.54 $2.54

15.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 $4.81

$3.51 $3.51

37.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.43 $2.43

-26.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.6 $60.6

$73.5 $73.5

-17.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.18 $3.18

1.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.39 $1.39

43.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.65 $24.65

$25.03 $25.03

-1.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.20 $1.20

-9.17%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$35.0K $35.0K

-22.72%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

0.20%

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

$237 $237

$194 $194

21.77%

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

$39.88 $39.88

$69.5 $69.5

-42.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.44 $49.44

$61.6 $61.6

-19.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.90 $24.90

$47.90 $47.90

-48.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.78 $15.78

$27.34 $27.34

-42.28%

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 $11.20

$17.81 $17.81

-37.11%

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

$769 $769

$1,794 $1,794

-57.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K $17.8K

$31.9K $31.9K

-44.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.86 $45.86

$67.0 $67.0

-31.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.04 $30.04

$52.1 $52.1

-42.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.8 $73.8

$102 $102

-27.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.0 $84.0

$144 $144

-41.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$2,526 $2,526

-49.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 $1,304

$1,578 $1,578

-17.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 $2,143

$4,738 $4,738

-54.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,880 $1,880

$2,693 $2,693

-30.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,703 $1,703

$4,190 $4,190

-59.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,421 $1,421

$2,768 $2,768

-48.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,250 $3,250

$4,931 $4,931

-34.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.81

-2.06%

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

Last update for Scranton, PA: 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

Scranton, PA

$1.3K 54.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 21% $274

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scranton, PA

$326 13.7%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 0.2% $0.6

Groceries & Markets

Scranton, PA

$299 12.5%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 49.7% $149

Eating Out

Scranton, PA

$224 9.4%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 54.1% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Scranton, PA

$105 4.4%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 55.9% $59

Getting Around

Scranton, PA

$81 3.4%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 15.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Scranton, PA

$47 2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 76.6% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,274 in Scranton, PA 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 52% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Scranton, PA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $447 – making Scranton, PA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Scranton, PA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

16:30 4:30 PM

15:30 3:30 PM

1 h behind Scranton, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,861

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Scranton, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,386 in Scranton, PA, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Scranton, PA comes out roughly 21% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,579 per month in Scranton, PA 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 Scranton, PA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,274 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Scranton, PA and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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

If budget matters most, go with Scranton, PA. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.