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Cost of Living in Chicago

Overall index: 107.4 — 12 points above Illinois average. Illinois statewide average: 95.

Where your money goes in Chicago

Estimated spending breakdown on a $75,000 salary in Chicago

Housing$29,205
Groceries$9,994
Utilities$5,198
Transportation$12,960
Healthcare$6,360
Dining & Misc$7,403
Savings$9,750
Discretionary$0

Estimated annual spending: $71,120($3,880 remaining)

What things cost in Chicago

Item Chicago Illinois avg US avg
Median home price $330,000 $260,000 $360,000
Average 2BR rent $1,750/mo $1,180/mo $1,400/mo
Gas (regular) $3.60/gal $3.60/gal $3.50/gal
Electric bill $108/mo $108/mo $137/mo
Infant childcare $18,200/yr $16,107/yr $13,500/yr

Index by category

Chicago vs Illinois statewide. National average = 100.

Housing 118.0 / 84.3 state
Groceries 102.5 / 99.8 state
Utilities 99.0 / 99.0 state
Transportation 108.0 / 100.5 state
Healthcare 106.0 / 104.1 state
Dining & Misc 98.7 / 98.7 state
US avg (100)
Illinois avg

FAQ

What is the cost of living in Chicago?

Chicago has an overall cost-of-living index of 107.4 (national average = 100). This is higher than the Illinois statewide average of 95. Median home prices are $330,000 and average 2BR rent is $1,750/month.

Is Chicago expensive to live in?

Chicago is near the national average with an index of 107.4.

How much does rent cost in Chicago?

Average 2-bedroom rent in Chicago is $1,750/month, compared to the national average of $1,400/month and the Illinois statewide average of $1,180/month.

What salary do I need to live in Chicago?

A $75,000 salary at the national average cost of living is equivalent to $80,550 in Chicago. Your money goes about as far or further than the national average.

Where does this data come from?

Metro-level data combines BEA Regional Price Parities (2024), C2ER COLI metro indices (2025), Zillow ZHVI/ZORI metro data (2024-2025), and state-level data from MERIC, AAA, EIA, and Child Care Aware.

Related tools

Metro-level data from BEA Regional Price Parities (2024), C2ER COLI (2025), and Zillow ZHVI (2024-2025). Where metro data is unavailable, Illinois statewide averages are used.