Cost of living in Chicago
Big-city amenities and a real subway at roughly half New York rents — the trade is a genuinely cold winter.
Build your own budget
Monthly spending by category: Housing $2,228, Food $788, Transport $154, Utilities $221, Healthcare $525, Lifestyle $170, Other $149.
1-bed, city centre Median advertised rent for this unit type Derived $2,228
Salary and tax in Chicago
| Gross salary (USD/yr) | Income tax | Social contributions | Take-home / month | Effective rate | Left after costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $3,872 | $3,060 | $2,756 | 17.3% | -$1,479 |
| $75,000 | $10,882 | $5,738 | $4,865 | 22.2% | $631 |
| $120,000 | $23,027 | $9,180 | $7,316 | 26.8% | $3,082 |
| $200,000 | $46,187 | $13,818 | $11,666 | 30.0% | $7,432 |
- Illinois income tax applied at 4.95%.
- Federal single-filer brackets with the standard deduction.
- State and city income taxes are applied as a flat approximation of the local effective rate.
People who actually live in Chicago
Quality of life
A year of weather in Chicago
Average monthly temperature in Chicago: January -3.1 degrees, February -0.1 degrees, March 4.6 degrees, April 9.8 degrees, May 14.5 degrees, June 21.3 degrees, July 23.1 degrees, August 22.5 degrees, September 19.9 degrees, October 13.9 degrees, November 6.3 degrees, December 0.2 degrees. The shaded band is the average daily high and low.
Where these numbers come from
Share of this budget, weighted by money rather than by field count, that rests on a published source rather than our model.
- Measured0%
- Taken directly from a published source. No modelling in between.
- Derived53%
- Anchored to a measured source, then adjusted. The adjustment is stated.
- Estimated47%
- Modelled from regional relationships. Nobody measured this one.
- Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI)as of 2026-07-31
Prices in Chicago
| Item | USD |
|---|---|
| Housing (monthly rent) | |
| One-bedroom, city centre | $2,228 |
| One-bedroom, outside the centre | $1,645 |
| Three-bedroom, city centre | $4,244 |
| Three-bedroom, outside the centre | $2,971 |
| Buy price per m², city centre | $4,500 |
| Bills | |
| Utilities, 85m² apartment | $150 |
| Home internet, 60 Mbps+ | $65 |
| Mobile plan | $58 |
| Food | |
| Groceries, one adult per month | $470 |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | $20 |
| Three-course dinner for two | $90 |
| Coffee | $5.00 |
| Beer in a bar | $8.00 |
| Transport | |
| Monthly transit pass | $75 |
| Taxi, per km | $2.20 |
| Petrol, per litre | $0.95 |
| Health, family & lifestyle | |
| Health insurance, per adult | $490 |
| Doctor visit, out of pocket | $170 |
| Full-time childcare, one child | $1,750 |
| International school, per year | $38,000 |
| Gym membership | $55 |
| Cinema ticket | $15 |
Prices are held in USD and converted at the August 2026 snapshot rate. Last reviewed 2026-08-01. Every figure carries its own provenance — see where these numbers come from.
Living and working here
No remote-work visa. Employment-based routes (H-1B, L-1, O-1) or a green card are the usual paths.
1 USD ≈ $1.00
America/Chicago
continental climate
Compare Chicago with…
Getting set up in Chicago
The things people end up arranging in the first month in Chicago — usually in roughly this order. We have picked services that work before you have local residency, which is the constraint that catches most people out.
- AiraloesimData eSIM for the first weeks before you get a local number.
- SafetyWinginsuranceHealth and travel cover written for people living outside their home country.
- WisetransferMoving money between currencies without the bank spread.
- RevolutbankingA multi-currency account that works before you have local residency.
- Kiwi.comflightsOne-way and multi-city routing for a move rather than a return trip.
- Booking.comstaysSomewhere to land for the first month while you look at flats.
These are affiliate links: if you sign up, we may be paid a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change what any of them costs, and it has no bearing on the numbers anywhere else on this page — those come from the model, not from anyone paying us.
Know what things really cost here?
No submissions yet. Yours would be the first.
We publish the median, not the mean — one mis-keyed rent should not move the number.
Frequently asked
How much money do you need per month to live in Chicago?
A single adult renting a one-bedroom in the centre and living moderately needs roughly $4,234 a month, of which $2,228 is rent. A couple sharing that flat needs about $5,872, and a family of four in a three-bedroom outside the centre with childcare needs about $12,034.
Is Chicago expensive?
On our index Chicago scores 66 where New York is 100 — about 34% below New York for the same household. The average local net salary of $4,400 a month covers 1.0× that budget.
What salary do you need in Chicago?
To cover the single-adult budget of $4,234 a month after tax, you need roughly $63,500 gross a year — before any saving. Add 30–40% on top if you want to save meaningfully.
How much is rent in Chicago?
A one-bedroom in the centre averages $2,228 a month, $1,645 outside the centre. A three-bedroom runs $4,244 central and $2,971 further out.
Can you work remotely from Chicago?
No remote-work visa. Employment-based routes (H-1B, L-1, O-1) or a green card are the usual paths.
Sources
- World Bank – ICP price level & PPP indicators— price levels, purchasing power normalisation
- OECD – Prices and purchasing power parities— price levels, household consumption
- Open-Meteo historical climate archive— climate
- exchangerate.host / ECB reference rates— currency conversion
Figures are modelled estimates built for comparison between cities, not a quote for any individual. Read the full methodology.