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Chicago vs Philadelphia cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ Chicago
๐บ๐ธ Philadelphia
At a glance
- Where Philadelphia is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (39%โ), Studio rent (month) (21%โ), SIM card (17%โ)
- Where Chicago is clearly cheaper: Street food (33%โ), Local meal (23%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Chicago | Philadelphia | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 17$17 | $ 22$22 | Chicago โ23% |
| Street food1 item | $ 8$8 | $ 12$12 | Chicago โ33% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 42$42 | $ 42$42 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 5.5$5.5 | $ 5.1$5.1 | Philadelphia โ7% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 7.5$7.5 | $ 6.5$6.5 | Philadelphia โ13% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 15$15 | $ 14$14 | Philadelphia โ7% |
| Bottled water | $ 1.8$1.8 | $ 2$2 | Chicago โ10% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 2.7$2.7 | $ 2.8$2.8 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 17$17 | $ 15$15 | Philadelphia โ12% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 10$10 | $ 9$9 | Philadelphia โ10% |
| Transitone ride | $ 2.75$2.75 | $ 2.9$2.9 | Chicago โ5% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 57$57 | $ 35$35 | Philadelphia โ39% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 180$180 | $ 175$175 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 1,950$1,950 | $ 1,550$1,550 | Philadelphia โ21% |
| Laundry | $ 4$4 | $ 4$4 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 30$30 | $ 25$25 | Philadelphia โ17% |
| Haircutcut | $ 35$35 | $ 33$33 | Philadelphia โ6% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 85$85 | $ 90$90 | Chicago โ6% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 60$60 | $ 55$55 | Philadelphia โ8% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 33$33 | $ 30$30 | Philadelphia โ9% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Chicago or Philadelphia?
Philadelphia is 5% cheaper than Chicago. Daily budget $334 vs $336; a month $6,737 vs $6,015.
Which is easier to travel, Chicago or Philadelphia?
About the same: Chicago 1.4/5, Philadelphia 1.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Chicago and Philadelphia?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Chicago is about $6,737 and Philadelphia about $6,015 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.