Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Philadelphia, PA 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Philadelphia, PA is 1.2% higher than in Chicago, IL (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Philadelphia, PA is 7.7% lower than in Chicago, IL | |
| Rent Prices in Philadelphia, PA are 22.9% lower than in Chicago, IL | |
| Restaurant Prices in Philadelphia, PA are 15.7% lower than in Chicago, IL | |
| Groceries Prices in Philadelphia, PA are 9.3% higher than in Chicago, IL | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Philadelphia, PA is 11.0% lower than in Chicago, IL | |
Restaurants | Chicago, IL Edit |
Philadelphia, PA Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 25.00 $ | 19.00 $ | -24.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 100.00 $ | 87.50 $ | -12.5 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 11.75 $ | 11.00 $ | -6.4 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 7.00 $ | 6.00 $ | -14.3 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 8.12 $ | 7.50 $ | -7.7 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.61 $ | 4.93 $ | -12.2 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.98 $ | 2.48 $ | -16.8 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.49 $ | 1.76 $ | -29.1 % |
Markets | Chicago, IL Edit |
Philadelphia, PA Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 3.77 $ | 5.20 $ | +37.8 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.71 $ | 3.83 $ | +3.3 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.61 $ | 3.63 $ | +39.3 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 3.88 $ | 4.01 $ | +3.5 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 6.93 $ | 8.74 $ | +26.2 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.48 $ | 5.84 $ | -9.9 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 8.35 $ | 9.43 $ | +12.9 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.34 $ | 2.76 $ | +17.9 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.84 $ | 1.00 $ | +19.0 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 1.98 $ | 2.32 $ | +17.1 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.08 $ | 2.47 $ | +18.6 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.15 $ | 1.62 $ | +40.5 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.24 $ | 1.55 $ | +24.3 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.43 $ | 3.01 $ | +24.2 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.73 $ | 2.49 $ | -8.9 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 15.00 $ | 15.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.60 $ | 1.92 $ | -26.3 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.95 $ | 4.25 $ | +7.5 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 16.44 $ | 14.00 $ | -14.8 % |
Transportation | Chicago, IL Edit |
Philadelphia, PA Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.50 $ | 2.50 $ | 0.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 75.00 $ | 96.00 $ | +28.0 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.25 $ | 3.25 $ | 0.0 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 2.25 $ | 2.50 $ | +11.1 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 25.00 $ | 22.00 $ | -12.0 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 4.07 $ | 3.57 $ | -12.4 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 31,000.00 $ | 31,765.00 $ | +2.5 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 26,848.85 $ | 25,990.62 $ | -3.2 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Chicago, IL Edit |
Philadelphia, PA Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 171.18 $ | 260.46 $ | +52.2 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 58.30 $ | 59.05 $ | +1.3 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 61.00 $ | 68.64 $ | +12.5 % |
Sports And Leisure | Chicago, IL Edit |
Philadelphia, PA Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 75.44 $ | 50.38 $ | -33.2 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 19.57 $ | 32.50 $ | +66.1 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 15.00 $ | 14.00 $ | -6.7 % |
Childcare | Chicago, IL Edit |
Philadelphia, PA Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,490.00 $ | 2,076.67 $ | -16.6 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 42,300.00 $ | 43,200.00 $ | +2.1 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Chicago, IL Edit |
Philadelphia, PA Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 64.42 $ | 53.86 $ | -16.4 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 53.46 $ | 37.86 $ | -29.2 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 98.52 $ | 88.33 $ | -10.3 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 147.50 $ | 121.67 $ | -17.5 % |
Rent Per Month | Chicago, IL Edit |
Philadelphia, PA Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,341.73 $ | 1,811.81 $ | -22.6 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,532.88 $ | 1,347.92 $ | -12.1 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,476.19 $ | 3,210.79 $ | -28.3 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,859.09 $ | 2,274.42 $ | -20.4 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Chicago, IL Edit |
Philadelphia, PA Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 312.04 $ | 315.01 $ | +1.0 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 251.71 $ | 220.30 $ | -12.5 % |
Salaries And Financing | Chicago, IL Edit |
Philadelphia, PA Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 4,955.97 $ | 4,069.41 $ | -17.9 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.64 | 6.71 | +0.9 % |
| Last update: | January 2025 | January 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 197 | 74 |
Moving to Chicago, IL? Explore:
Moving to Philadelphia, PA? Explore:
Cities near Chicago, IL: | Cost of Living in Oak Park, Illinois | 9.14 miles |
| Cost of Living in Evanston, Illinois | 14.20 miles |
| Cost of Living in La Grange Park, Illinois | 15.03 miles |
| Cost of Living in Franklin Park, Illinois | 16.69 miles |
| Cost of Living in Des Plaines, Illinois | 20.82 miles |
| Cost of Living in East Chicago, Indiana | 23.76 miles |
| Cost of Living in Wheaton, Illinois | 25.81 miles |
| Cost of Living in Bolingbrook, Illinois | 29.21 miles |
| Cost of Living in Wheeling, Illinois | 29.29 miles |
| Cost of Living in Naperville, Illinois | 30.13 miles |
Cities near Philadelphia, PA: | Cost of Living in Browns Mills, New Jersey | 32.93 miles |
| Cost of Living in Princeton, New Jersey | 44.86 miles |
| Cost of Living in Barnegat, New Jersey | 51.99 miles |
| Cost of Living in Allentown, Pennsylvania | 61.40 miles |
| Cost of Living in Woodbridge, New Jersey | 70.62 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania | 71.52 miles |
| Cost of Living in Newark, New Jersey | 85.78 miles |
| Cost of Living in Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey | 87.30 miles |
| Cost of Living in Jersey City, New Jersey | 93.77 miles |
| Cost of Living in Rutherford, New Jersey | 95.05 miles |