Chicago vs Philadelphia
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Philadelphia edges it, 67 to 67, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Chicago is stronger on nothing outright; Philadelphia on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
America's great architecture city on the lake
Full Chicago profile →Where to stay in Chicago →Walkable history at East Coast prices minus New York
Full Philadelphia profile →Where to stay in Philadelphia →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Chicago | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 16 | 16 ✓ |
| Safety | 51 | 51 |
| Healthcare | 81 | 81 |
| Internet | 79 ✓ | 76 |
| Visa ease | 61 | 61 |
| Getting there & around | 91 ✓ | 83 |
| Climate | 33 | 42 ✓ |
| Air quality | 92 | 95 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 95 | 95 |
Cost
| Metric | Chicago | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $3,108 | $3,077 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Chicago | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 5.76 | 5.76 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 60.3 | 60.3 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 88 | 88 |
| Life expectancy | 76.4 yrs | 76.4 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Chicago | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 73.5 Mbps ✓ | 59.1 Mbps |
| Upload | 11.7 Mbps | 13.6 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Chicago | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | home country | home country |
| Entry, EU passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
| Entry, UK passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Chicago | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 287 ✓ | 129 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 5 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 ✓ | 4 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Chicago | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 5 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8.7 µg/m³ | 7.2 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Chicago or Philadelphia?
- Philadelphia is cheaper: about $3,077 per month versus $3,108 for one person.
- Is Chicago or Philadelphia safer?
- Chicago scores higher on safety (51 vs 51), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Chicago or Philadelphia?
- Chicago: a measured median of 73.5 Mbps versus 59.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Chicago vs Boston
- Chicago vs New York City
- Philadelphia vs Oakland
- Philadelphia vs San Francisco
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (all items); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.