Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wheeling, WV and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Wheeling, WV: $2,238 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Wheeling, WV
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Wheeling, WV Living Index
147

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

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Wheeling, WV

🇺🇸 United States

$2,238

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,238 per month in Wheeling, WV vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Wheeling, WV $2,238
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,354 per month in Wheeling, WV vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Wheeling, WV $3,354
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,471 per month in Wheeling, WV vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Wheeling, WV $4,471
Chicago, IL $5,999

Wheeling, WV is about 26% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Wheeling, WV and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Wheeling, WV by 64%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.55 $13.55

$20.71 $20.71

-34.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.9 $65.9

$89.2 $89.2

-26.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 $8.42

$13.19 $13.19

-36.16%

Cappuccino

$5.15 $5.15

$5.66 $5.66

-9.01%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$2.64 $2.64

-6.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.28 $2.28

-17.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.56 $14.56

$6.87 $6.87

111.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.91 $9.91

$8.84 $8.84

12.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.25 $1.25

4.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.72 $3.72

-6.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.81 $6.81

$5.39 $5.39

26.35%

Eggs

$5.75 $5.75

$4.74 $4.74

21.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.44 $7.44

$13.84 $13.84

-46.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.19 $16.19

$14.40 $14.40

12.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 $15.92

$18.38 $18.38

-13.38%

Apples (1kg)

$7.49 $7.49

$5.22 $5.22

43.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.98 $1.98

-1.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.49 $7.49

$4.06 $4.06

84.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.97 $4.97

20.52%

Potato (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$2.67 $2.67

96.63%

Onion (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$2.66 $2.66

71.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.24 $2.24

-8.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.13 $3.13

-31.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.12 $9.12

$13.82 $13.82

-34.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$14.88 $14.88

0.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.54 $2.54

-32.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

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)

$25.4K $25.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-27.44%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

-12.53%

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

$160 $160

$194 $194

-17.65%

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

$140 $140

$69.5 $69.5

101.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.5 $73.5

$61.6 $61.6

19.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.66 $33.66

$47.90 $47.90

-29.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.80 $12.80

$17.81 $17.81

-28.13%

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

$1,065 $1,065

$1,794 $1,794

-40.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K $18.8K

$31.9K $31.9K

-41.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.64 $46.64

$67.0 $67.0

-30.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.5 $60.5

$52.1 $52.1

16.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 $138

$102 $102

36.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.7 $63.7

$144 $144

-55.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 $1,152

$2,526 $2,526

-54.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 $905

$1,578 $1,578

-42.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,265 $2,265

$4,738 $4,738

-52.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,547 $1,547

$2,693 $2,693

-42.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,677 $1,677

$4,190 $4,190

-59.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,379 $1,379

$2,768 $2,768

-50.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,854 $3,854

$4,931 $4,931

-21.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

6.81

-6.02%

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

Last update for Wheeling, WV: 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

Wheeling, WV

$905 40.4%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 74.3% $673

Groceries & Markets

Wheeling, WV

$456 * 20.4%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 1.8% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wheeling, WV

$374 16.7%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 12.9% $48

Eating Out

Wheeling, WV

$305 13.7%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 12.9% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Wheeling, WV

$139 6.2%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 17.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Wheeling, WV

$59 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 40.9% $24

Getting Around

Wheeling, WV

- * 0%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,152 in Wheeling, WV 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 28% 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 $66 in Wheeling, WV versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $456 in Wheeling, WV vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wheeling, WV

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

00:21 12:21 AM

23:21 11:21 PM

1 h behind Wheeling, WV

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,486

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Wheeling, WV Chicago, IL 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Wheeling, WV
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

Wheeling, WV vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,238 in Wheeling, WV, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Wheeling, WV comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,358 per month in Wheeling, WV 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 Wheeling, WV, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,152 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Kindergarten costs $1,065 per month in Wheeling, WV and $1,794 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,238 in Wheeling, WV and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. That makes Wheeling, WV about 26% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Wheeling, WV, where all-in costs run around $2,238, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Wheeling, WV it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Wheeling, WV – 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 Wheeling, WV. 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.