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Chicago

Cost of living, housing, groceries, transportation and more.

Cost data reviewed 23 Sep 2026FX snapshot 25 Sep 2026 UTC
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Rent · 1BR non-prime
$1,750
Monthly planning midpoint
▣
Groceries
$450
Monthly planning midpoint
▤
Public transit
$75
Monthly planning midpoint
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Eating out
$220
Monthly planning midpoint

What the numbers suggest

The model midpoint for one person in Chicago is $2,950. At the modeled component midpoint, rent represents roughly 60% of the six-category basket, food about 23%, and public transit about 3%.

This page shows a planning range rather than one “correct” household cost. Actual spending changes with neighbourhood, lease terms, consumption and lifestyle.

What is included

The headline includes rent, utilities/connectivity, groceries, eating out, public transit and household/personal essentials. Healthcare, childcare, car ownership, taxes, savings and discretionary lifestyle spending are separate.

Core monthly cost breakdown

6 of six core planning components for Chicago have captured numeric calibration evidence: 3 direct component observations and 3 broad calibrations. Broad calibration can come from household or per-person spending evidence and is not the same as a direct category measurement. The displayed midpoint remains a normalized planning estimate, not a quote or guaranteed household spend.

Rent · 1BR non-primeDirect component evidence$1,750
Utilities + connectivityBroad calibration evidence$250
GroceriesDirect component evidence$450
Eating outBroad calibration evidence$220
Public transitDirect component evidence$75
Household + personalBroad calibration evidence$170
Core evidence coverage3 direct · 3 broad · 0 model

Direct component evidence measures the category itself or a closely matched subcomponent. Broad calibration evidence uses a wider household/per-person benchmark. Source-linked model anchors have identified sources but no captured numeric observation yet.

  • Rent · 1BR non-prime: direct component evidence — Apartment List · 2026-09 — example 1-bedroom rent reference: 1,759 USD/month
  • Utilities + connectivity: broad calibration evidence — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2023-24 — example average annual household expenditures: 85,415 USD/year
  • Groceries: direct component evidence — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2023-24 — example average annual household expenditures: 85,415 USD/year
  • Eating out: broad calibration evidence — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2023-24 — example average annual household expenditures: 85,415 USD/year
  • Public transit: direct component evidence — Chicago Transit Authority · 2026 — example 30-day pass: 75 USD/month
  • Household + personal: broad calibration evidence — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2023-24 — example average annual household expenditures: 85,415 USD/year
Expanded evidence layer

Detailed source-backed profile

28 of 52 fields are public and source-backed for Chicago. Only verified fields are shown; unresolved work remains in the audit ledger.

Housing & ownership 3
Three-bedroom non-primeHUD FY2026 three-bedroom Fair Market Rent for the metropolitan/HMFA area.
$2,294
Mortgage interest-rate referenceFreddie Mac national 30-year fixed-rate mortgage average as of 2026-09-17.
6.95 %
Rental move-in cost rulesCurrent state/local rental-deposit context from the cited tenant-rights source.
Illinois has no statewide security-deposit cap for most private rentals; one or two months of rent is common, while local ordinances and certain housing programs can impose separate limits. Chicago renters should check the city ordinance and their housing type.
Utilities & connectivity 2
Energy/water for baseline dwelling2024 BLS annual one-person consumer-unit spending on electricity, natural gas, fuel oil/other fuels, and water/public services, divided by 12.
$177.42 /month
Mid-tier mobile plan2024 BLS annual cellular-service expenditure for one-person consumer units, divided by 12.
$61.08 /month
Food & groceries 8
Milk 1 LBLS U.S. city-average retail prices for June–August 2026, normalized to the site unit.
$1.12–$1.14
Bread 500 gBLS U.S. city-average retail prices for June–August 2026, normalized to the site unit.
$2.00–$2.01
Rice/grains 1 kgBLS U.S. city-average retail prices for June–August 2026, normalized to the site unit.
$2.40–$2.45
Eggs 12BLS U.S. city-average retail prices for June–August 2026, normalized to the site unit.
$2.14–$2.27
Chicken 1 kgBLS U.S. city-average retail prices for June–August 2026, normalized to the site unit.
$4.42–$4.51
Red-meat equivalent 1 kgBLS U.S. city-average retail prices for June–August 2026, normalized to the site unit.
$15.05–$15.26
Representative fruit 1 kgBLS U.S. city-average retail prices for June–August 2026, normalized to the site unit.
$1.42–$1.44
Representative vegetables 1 kgBLS U.S. city-average retail prices for June–August 2026, normalized to the site unit.
$4.36–$4.75
Transport 2
Single adult fareCurrent adult base fare from the local transit operator.
$2.25–$2.50
Gasoline per litreBLS metropolitan-area average regular-unleaded gasoline prices for June–August 2026.
$1.10–$1.15 /L
Health 2
Public healthcare baseline/eligibilityPublic-program context from the state Medicaid/Medi-Cal authority.
Illinois Medicaid provides public health coverage to eligible residents through multiple coverage groups. Eligibility and benefits vary by income, age, pregnancy, disability and other program rules; this is context, not an eligibility determination.
Health-insurance spending proxy2024 BLS annual health-insurance expenditure for one-person consumer units, divided by 12.
$206.83 /month
Earnings & tax 4
Official mean earnings benchmarkBLS OEWS all-occupations mean hourly wage for the metro area, May 2025; annualized at 2,080 hours and divided by 12.
$6,115.20 /month gross
Core cost divided by earningsCLC core monthly model midpoint of USD 2,950 divided by the BLS-derived monthly gross mean earnings benchmark of USD 6,115.20.
48.24 % of gross
Income remaining after core spendBLS-derived monthly gross mean earnings benchmark less the existing CLC core monthly model midpoint of USD 2,950.
$3,165.20 /month before tax
Tax structureFederal and state tax-structure context from official tax authorities.
2026 federal marginal individual income-tax rates run from 10% to 37%. Illinois individual income tax is a flat 4.95% of net income under the state rate table. Credits, exemptions and other rules can materially change actual liability.
City context 1
Climate normalsNOAA 1991–2020 climate normals for a representative city weather station.
NOAA 1991–2020 normals at Chicago O’Hare: annual mean about 10.7 °C; January mean about -3.8 °C; July mean about 24.1 °C.
Detailed evidence sources

Cities with a similar core-budget scale

Using the site's bundled 2026-09-25 FX snapshot only to put model midpoints on a common scale, these covered cities sit closest to Chicago's six-category midpoint. This is a cost-model similarity, not a claim that the cities have the same housing market, wages or lifestyle.

Source and dates

Data model CLC-v5.9-global-detail-1 · site V7.1 · evidence granularity reviewed 2026-09-29 · core evidence mix 3 direct / 3 broad / 0 model. Missing fields are omitted; modeled anchors are labeled and may differ by neighbourhood and lifestyle.