Cost of Living in Chicago
Summary of cost of living in Chicago, IL, United States:
- The estimated monthly costs for a family of four are 4,700.4$, excluding rent (using our estimator).
- The estimated monthly costs for a single person are 1,298.6$, excluding rent.
- Chicago is 28.4% less expensive than New York (excluding rent, see our cost of living index).
- Rent in Chicago is, on average, 44.2% lower than in New York.
Restaurants |  Edit |
Range |
|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 20.50 $ | |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 100.00 $ | |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 12.00 $ | |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 7.00 $ | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 8.25 $ | |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.67 $ | |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.03 $ | |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.41 $ | |
Markets | Edit |
|
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 4.01 $ | |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.66 $ | |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.47 $ | |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 4.58 $ | |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 6.52 $ | |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.83 $ | |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 8.70 $ | |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.40 $ | |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.79 $ | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 1.95 $ | |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.02 $ | |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.13 $ | |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.25 $ | |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.45 $ | |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.65 $ | |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 15.00 $ | |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.42 $ | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.64 $ | |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 15.00 $ | |
Transportation | Edit |
|
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.50 $ | |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 75.00 $ | |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.25 $ | |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 2.25 $ | |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 25.00 $ | |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 4.06 $ | |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 31,965.00 $ | |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 26,398.93 $ | |
Utilities (Monthly) | Edit |
|
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 184.60 $ | |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 62.71 $ | |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 66.29 $ | |
Sports And Leisure | Edit |
|
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 76.43 $ | |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 13.12 $ | |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 15.00 $ | |
Childcare | Edit |
|
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,056.25 $ | |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 39,114.29 $ | |
Clothing And Shoes | Edit |
|
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 64.22 $ | |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 51.54 $ | |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 96.12 $ | |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 145.88 $ | |
Rent Per Month | Edit |
|
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,344.23 $ | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,600.95 $ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,682.61 $ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,767.39 $ | |
Buy Apartment Price | Edit |
|
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 350.64 $ | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 245.25 $ | |
Salaries And Financing | Edit |
|
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,142.28 $ | |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.63 |
Prices in Chicago, Illinois
This city had 1612 entries in the past 12 months by 249 different contributors.
Last update: 13 June 2025
Last update: 13 June 2025
Sources and References
Moving to Chicago, IL? Explore:
Distribution of Expenses Using Our Statistical Model:
Nearby Cities:| 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 Arlington Heights, Illinois | 27.19 miles |
| Cost of Living in Bolingbrook, Illinois | 29.21 miles |
| Cost of Living in Wheeling, Illinois | 29.29 miles |
This Page in Other Languages:
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Leave a comment:3 Comments so far
Anonymous
on Apr 03, 2021:
Chicago is reasonable on everything except real estate taxes, state income tax, utility taxes, and sales taxes. Taxes in general are high in Illinois. Housing costs and wages are good however. World class city. Suburbs are better however. But, you have city amenities at your fingertips and the burbs are a little cheaper.
Anonymous
on Dec 21, 2020:
The post by ECONOMICS January 11,2019 isn't correct.
Anonymous
on Oct 24, 2020:
2.96 a gallon of milk?! Yeah. In Costco! But if you don't have Costco membership, regular price in store is around $5.96!