🇺🇸 IL, United States · #61 of 538 cities · 2026

Cost of Living in Chicago

Close to the United States average

Ranked #61 of 538 cities · More expensive than 88.7% of cities worldwide

Compared to United States average

Rent Prices

Rent Prices in Chicago

Apartment City Centre Outside Centre You Save
1-Bedroom USD 2,471/mo USD 1,736/mo 30%
3-Bedroom USD 4,513/mo USD 2,862/mo 30%
Numbeo · 2026-03-12

Multi-Source Comparison

★★★ High Confidence

Chicago has a composite cost index of 64.7 from 4 independent data sources.

64.7
Composite
4
Sources
2.8
Spread

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Numbeo
62.1
Expatistan
64.9
LivingCost
79.5
SIM
65.9
Eurostat Validation (EU27 = 100) Gov. Data
Eurostat
116.6

Based on 108 country PLI x 1.08 city factor

View all 127 cities | Data last updated: 2026-03-18

Cost Indices

Cost of Living
+1.9% Average
Rent
+9.6% Expensive
Groceries
+2.3% Average
Restaurants
+4.0% Average
Purchasing Power
-0.1% Average

Living in Chicago: What to Expect

Chicago is average by global standards (ranked #61 of 538 cities). It is 1.9% more expensive than the United States average, based on 74 cities.

Groceries are average, while dining out is average. Groceries offers the best value, while Rent is the priciest.

Local purchasing power is limited — residents can afford fewer goods and services than in most cities.

Similar Cities

How Does Chicago Compare?

Planning a Move to Chicago?

Compare cost of living with your current city, or calculate your net salary after tax.

Decision guide
Should I Move to Chicago?
Rankings
Cheapest Cities in the World

Relocation Toolkit

Trusted services for your move

We may earn a commission if you sign up — at no extra cost to you.