Cost of living in Chicago: Food, transport, and more

Living in Chicago offers an experience that mixes a big city with a cost of living that surprises positively and negatively. For example, renting a flat downtown is often pricier than in other US cities, while public transport feels much more affordable than driving your own car. Throughout this cost of living in Chicago guide, you’ll find updated, practical info about how much you’ll spend on housing, food, transport, healthcare, internet plans and leisure activities.

The aim is to give you a clear view of the key expenses before deciding to move or stay in the city. If you’d like to know Chicago’s living costs in detail, keep reading: Here you’ll find everything needed to plan your budget.

Average cost of housing in Chicago

Housing takes the biggest share of your budget if you live in Chicago, and neighbourhood or property type makes a big difference. To help you compare and plan, here are average prices for common options such as mid-range hotels, furnished flats, colivings and long-stay Airbnb rentals.

• Hotels: A month-long stay in a hotel costs around $120–150 per night (€103–129), which equals $3,600–4,500 (€3,140–3,930) monthly. Practical but not cost-effective long term.
• Furnished flats: Most popular for several months. Prices range between $1,900–2,600 per month (€1,630–2,180), depending on whether you choose central zones like The Loop or cheaper residential areas.
• Colivings: Increasingly popular if you want community and included services. Rates range from $1,050–1,350 monthly (€900–1,157), making it a convenient mid-range choice.
• Long-stay Airbnb: Average per night is $248 (€212), which exceeds $7,000 monthly (€6,370). Many hosts offer discounts, yet it’s still pricier unless you want full flexibility.

In summary, staying in downtown (River North, The Loop, West Loop) may push costs to nearly $2,900 monthly (€2,480), while areas like Uptown or Pilsen give cheaper alternatives starting from $1,700 monthly (€1,460).

Food costs in Chicago

To estimate Chicago’s cost of living properly, here’s a practical reference with real prices from an international supermarket (ALDI) and average costs for breakfast, lunch and dinner in neighbourhood restaurants. 

These prices are approximate and may vary depending on the brand and supermarket.

Eating out (local restaurants)

• Neighbourhood diner breakfast (plate + coffee): $16–21 (€14.04–18.32). Examples: breakfast plates $12–17 (Yolk, The Chicago Diner) and coffee around $4.40.
• Casual “lunch special” or daily menu: $12–16 (€10.28–13.70). Some offers from $8, executive menus up to $25 depending on venue.
• Dinner at casual neighbourhood restaurant (main dish per person): $20–30 (€17.13–25.69). Estimates match published local averages.

Taxes to consider when eating out: Chicago adds 10.25% sales tax and an extra 0.5% restaurant tax (10.75% in most areas; up to 11.75% near the Loop/Mag Mile).

Transport prices in Chicago

Getting around Chicago is simple thanks to many transport options. Each one costs differently, so it’s important to know them before deciding whether to buy a monthly pass, combine with Uber, or even consider renting or buying a car. Below, you’ll find updated prices for main options, including public transport, fuel, charging, insurance and even new car costs.

Public transport

• Metro trip (“L”): $2.50 (€2.15).
• Bus: $2.25 (€1.94).
• Unlimited passes: 1 day $5 (€4.30), 3 days $15 (€12.90), 7 days $20 (€17.20), 30 days $75 (€64.50).
• From O’Hare on the Blue Line (boarding only at airport): $5 (€4.30). 

If you’ll use transport daily, 7 or 30-day passes usually save more than paying per trip.

Taxi (official city rates)

• Base fare: $3.25 (€2.80).
• Per mile: $2.25 (€1.94).
• Waiting time: $0.20 every 36s (€0.17).
• Extra passenger: first $1.00 (€0.86), following $0.50 (€0.43).
• Electronic payment: $0.50 (€0.43).
• Airport departure fee (State of Illinois): $4.00 (€3.44).
• (UberX, average): Around $51 (€43.86) for a 45-minute ride (varies with demand and traffic).

Public bike 

• Annual membership: $143.90/year (€123.75) unlimited 45-min rides on classic bikes, free unlocks, reduced e-bike fares.
• Day Pass (24h): $18.10 (€15.57).
• Single Ride: classic bike $1 (€0.86) unlock + $0.19/min (€0.16/min); e-bike $0.44/min (€0.38/min). (Members: $0 unlock; e-bike $0.31/min ≈ €0.27/min).

Petrol 

• Petrol (Chicago city average): Regular $3.82/gal (€3.28), Mid $4.43/gal (€3.81), Premium $4.94/gal (€4.25), Diesel $4.07/gal (€3.50). 
• Home charging (approximate): ComEd supply rate ≈ $0.100/kWh (€0.09/kWh). The total cost with distribution usually ranges $0.14–0.16/kWh (€0.12–0.14/kWh) based on local averages.
• Fast public charging: Time-based pricing: $0.26/kWh (€0.22/kWh) early (4–8h), $0.44/kWh (€0.38/kWh) daytime (8–19h). Check app for current rate.

Car insurance (mandatory and coverage)

• Minimum legal requirement: $25,000 per injured / $50,000 per accident / $20,000 for property damage, and minimum UM 25/50. 
• Average cost (Chicago, full coverage policy): $3,644/year (€3,135/year, $304/month/€261/month). Statewide average, but city rates rise due to traffic, thefts, density. Your real cost varies by profile and car.

New car price (reference)

• Toyota Corolla 2025 (sedan, globally popular): from $23,460 MSRP (€20,176) in the US. Final purchase price may be lower than suggested retail.
• Comparable Honda Civic 2025: from $24,250 MSRP (€20,855). 

Healthcare costs in Chicago

One of the most important factors when planning a stay in Chicago is understanding how healthcare works, since the US has no universal public system like other countries. Foreigners, even if you arrive for work or studies, don’t get free access to public hospitals or clinics; every service is paid directly or through medical insurance. That’s why having private coverage is almost mandatory to avoid very high emergency bills.

Private health insurance

An individual health plan in Chicago costs on average $450–550 monthly (€387–473) for one adult, depending on coverage and insurer. For a family of four, costs rise to $1,300–1,600 monthly (€1,118–1,376).

Common medical services

• General doctor consultation (clinic without insurance): $100–200 (€86–172).
• Routine dentist visit: $75–200 (€65–172). Specific treatments (deep cleaning, fillings) raise the price.
• Appendicitis surgery with hospitalisation: Between $15,000–35,000 (€12,900–30,100), depending on hospital and coverage type.
• Emergency room visit (without procedures): $500–1,500 (€430–1,290).

Over-the-counter medicines

• Paracetamol (Tylenol, 100 tablets 500 mg): $12–15 (€10–13).
• Generic ibuprofen (100 tablets 200 mg): $8–10 (€7–9).
• Cough syrup (common brand, 350 ml): $7–12 (€6–10).
• Antihistamines (cetirizine 30 tablets): $15–18 (€13–15).

In Chicago, healthcare can represent a heavy cost if you don’t have insurance. For short stays, the most recommended option is a travel insurance with medical coverage, while for longer periods you should consider a local private insurance that includes routine visits and emergencies.

Internet and call plan prices

Chicago offers several home broadband options, with prices depending on speed and provider. For instance, Astound Broadband offers plans from $20–25 monthly (€17–21) with speeds up to 300 Mbps, while Xfinity and AT&T sell faster packages reaching 1–5 Gbps starting at $55–115 (€47–99). Alternatives include EarthLink (from $40/month) or GFiber Webpass, offering 1 Gbps symmetric for $70 (€60). Verizon also sells home 5G internet from $60/month (€52). The key is checking coverage in your area, since not all services are available everywhere.

As for mobile plans, big carriers keep similar ranges. T-Mobile, for example, offers unlimited data and calls for $50/month (€43), while its Plus version with 10 GB hotspot costs $60 (€52). AT&T provides a prepaid unlimited plan for $65/month (€56), plus an annual plan averaging $25/month (€22) with 10 GB hotspot. These packages include minutes, texts and data, perfect if you live in the city or plan to stay several months.

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Leisure activity costs in Chicago 

To give you a realistic idea of how much “going out” in Chicago costs, we’ve gathered current prices for popular plans like cinema, theatre, zoos, museums/observatories and even home entertainment subscriptions. 

Chicago’s cost of living is high, and one adult needs on average between $3,200–4,000 monthly (€2,750–3,440) to cover housing, food, transport, healthcare, internet and leisure. The biggest expenses come from rent (from $1,050 in coliving to $2,600 in furnished flats) and health insurance (≈ $450–550). Meanwhile, supermarket food costs about $300–400, and public transport $75 per month.

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