Cost of Living in Chicago
Summary of cost of living in Chicago, IL, United States:
- A family of four estimated monthly costs are 4,931.0$ without rent (using our estimator).
- A single person estimated monthly costs are 1,358.5$ without rent.
- Chicago is 13.4% less expensive than Seattle (without rent, see our cost of living index).
- Rent in Chicago is, on average, 10.8% lower than in Seattle.
Restaurants |  Edit |
Range |
|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 20.00 $ | |
| 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) | 8.00 $ | |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.73 $ | |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.04 $ | |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.67 $ | |
Markets | Edit |
|
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 4.30 $ | |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.52 $ | |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.64 $ | |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 4.36 $ | |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 7.99 $ | |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.23 $ | |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 9.10 $ | |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.63 $ | |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.91 $ | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.35 $ | |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.34 $ | |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.39 $ | |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.33 $ | |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.27 $ | |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.58 $ | |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 15.00 $ | |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.99 $ | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 4.27 $ | |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 16.50 $ | |
Transportation | Edit |
|
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.50 $ | |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 90.00 $ | |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 4.12 $ | |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 4.91 $ | |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 51.25 $ | |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 4.44 $ | |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 26,500.00 $ | |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 26,558.33 $ | |
Utilities (Monthly) | Edit |
|
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 184.80 $ | |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 62.35 $ | |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 75.01 $ | |
Sports And Leisure | Edit |
|
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 88.69 $ | |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 11.44 $ | |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 15.00 $ | |
Childcare | Edit |
|
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,157.83 $ | |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 34,250.00 $ | |
Clothing And Shoes | Edit |
|
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 65.42 $ | |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 52.91 $ | |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 105.75 $ | |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 141.89 $ | |
Rent Per Month | Edit |
|
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,529.86 $ | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,786.57 $ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,602.17 $ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 3,481.00 $ | |
Buy Apartment Price | Edit |
|
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 648.63 $ | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 514.37 $ | |
Salaries And Financing | Edit |
|
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,789.20 $ | |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 7.01 |
Prices in Chicago, Illinois
This city had 1710 entries in the past 12 months by 285 different contributors.
Last update: December 2023
Last update: December 2023
Sources and References
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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 Bolingbrook, Illinois | 29.21 miles |
| Cost of Living in Naperville, Illinois | 30.13 miles |
| Cost of Living in Schaumburg, Illinois | 30.60 miles |
This page in other languages:
 DeutschLebenshaltungskosten in Chicago
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 ItalianoCosto della Vita a Chicago
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 EspañolCosto de Vida en Chicago
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The salaries are someone less but still quite competitive in Chicago for IT talent.
The avg salary in Chicago is at least 160K for a experienced IT (10+ year) professional in the private sector.
I would say U.S citizen entry level professionals starts out at 80K.
For those working in IT on a H1B visa, your salary is going to cap out at 80-90K, even after several years of exp.
I myself work in IT with 12 years of exp and have $9000 USD monthly take home pay after taxes and after 5% 401k retirement contribution,
and that also doesn't include yearly bonus.
The cost to buy a condo in the city is center is about $380 per sq feet in a nice area such as River North, which is where most young
educated professional live.
In South Loop you can find better deals, around $300 per sq feet.
Chicago has very high property taxes, $5000-9000 a year on a nice 1 bedroom condo, and about 500 a month
for HOA fees.
Renting in River North is about $2300 for a one bedroom apartment.
Most people I know without college degrees, do 2-3 side hustles such as bartending, and uber driving.