Cost of Living in Chicago
Summary of cost of living in Chicago, IL, United States:
- A family of four estimated monthly costs are 4,675.8$ without rent (using our estimator).
- A single person estimated monthly costs are 1,282.8$ without rent.
- Chicago is 10.4% more expensive than Columbus (without rent, see our cost of living index).
- Rent in Chicago is, on average, 42.5% higher than in Columbus.
Restaurants |  Edit |
Range |
|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 25.00 $ | |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 100.00 $ | |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 11.00 $ | |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 7.00 $ | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 9.00 $ | |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.37 $ | |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.97 $ | |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.44 $ | |
Markets | Edit |
|
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 3.77 $ | |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.70 $ | |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.62 $ | |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 3.85 $ | |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 6.88 $ | |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.58 $ | |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 8.35 $ | |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.42 $ | |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.86 $ | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.01 $ | |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.23 $ | |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.16 $ | |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.32 $ | |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.40 $ | |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.90 $ | |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 15.00 $ | |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.60 $ | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 4.19 $ | |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 16.94 $ | |
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) | 4.09 $ | |
| 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) | 26,698.31 $ | |
Utilities (Monthly) | Edit |
|
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 166.32 $ | |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 55.26 $ | |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 62.55 $ | |
Sports And Leisure | Edit |
|
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 74.09 $ | |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 19.57 $ | |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 15.00 $ | |
Childcare | Edit |
|
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,575.00 $ | |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 42,300.00 $ | |
Clothing And Shoes | Edit |
|
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 66.03 $ | |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 52.50 $ | |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 98.84 $ | |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 154.06 $ | |
Rent Per Month | Edit |
|
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,347.59 $ | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,534.24 $ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,513.64 $ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,950.00 $ | |
Buy Apartment Price | Edit |
|
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 330.00 $ | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 272.50 $ | |
Salaries And Financing | Edit |
|
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 4,901.00 $ | |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.63 |
Prices in Chicago, Illinois
This city had 1847 entries in the past 12 months by 272 different contributors.
Last update: December 2024
Last update: December 2024
Sources and References
Moving to Chicago, IL? Explore:
Distribution of Expenses Using Our Statistical Model:
Sign Up for Our Newsletter:
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
|
 PortuguêsCusto de Vida em Chicago
|
 ItalianoCosto della Vita a Chicago
|
 FrançaisCoût de la Vie à Chicago
|
 EspañolCosto de Vida en Chicago
|
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!