Cost of Living in Chicago, Illinois
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Chicago, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 2,731,585
- Median household income
- $80,613
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 103.6
- Unemployment rate
- 7.3%
Is Chicago a good place to live?
Chicago is one of the pricier places for a typical paycheck: a typical worker keeps less here than in 138 of 178 other large cities. Higher earners do better.
A typical worker in Chicago keeps $3,078 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living4% above the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,856 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$2,564 of state income tax on a typical wage
Cost of living in Chicago
Prices in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area run 4% above the US average. Utilities is the biggest difference, at 16% below the US average.
- Housing12% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)7% above the US average
- Utilities16% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)About the same as the US average
- All items4% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,856 | $22,272 |
| Food | $529 | $6,348 |
| Transportation | $419 | $5,028 |
| Healthcare | $354 | $4,248 |
| Utilities | $218 | $2,616 |
| Total before taxes | $3,376 | $40,512 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Chicago | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,750 | $1,678 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,856 | $1,780 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,097 | $2,011 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,696 | $2,586 |
| 4 bedrooms | $3,081 | $2,954 |
Living in Chicago
How Chicago compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Chicago | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $80,613 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $341,200 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,486 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 53.5% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.3% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 16.6% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 46.4% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 35.9 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 33.5 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 17.6% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 20.5% | 3.7% |
Home internet
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Chicago, led by Xfinity, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T. Fiber reaches 33.3% of homes and 54.5% can get gigabit speeds. Compare providers in Chicago
Pros and cons of living in Chicago
Pros
- Usable public transit. 20.5% of commuters take public transit, against 3.7% nationally.
Cons
- Higher unemployment. Unemployment is 7.3%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2024 1-year).
- Longer commutes. The average one-way commute is 33.5 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- Paychecks don't stretch far. A typical worker keeps $3,078 a year, less than in 138 of 178 large cities.
- Higher state income tax. $2,564 on a typical wage of $54,720, or 4.7%.
What your job keeps in Chicago
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $54,720
- Federal income tax
- −$4,386
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,186
- State income tax
- −$2,564
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$22,272
- Everyday costs
- −$18,234
a year, or $257 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer | $165,660 | $75,934 |
| Software engineer | $134,380 | $56,102 |
| Police officer | $107,810 | $38,977 |
| Project manager | $105,320 | $37,348 |
| Registered nurse | $100,490 | $34,190 |
| Teacher | $85,354 | $24,290 |
| Accountant | $82,360 | $22,332 |
| Truck driver | $62,300 | $8,793 |
| Auto mechanic | $55,320 | $3,530 |
| Nursing assistant | $46,940 | −$2,789 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Chicago on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Carpenter $21,076
- Civil engineer $33,974
- Data scientist $38,866
- Dental assistant −$1,273
- Dental hygienist $34,039
- Dentist $69,872
- Diesel mechanic $11,341
- Electrician $35,405
- Financial analyst $35,013
- Firefighter $22,633
- HVAC technician $19,455
- Licensed practical nurse $19,527
- Lineman $49,160
- Mechanical engineer $35,223
- Medical assistant −$2,539
- Nurse practitioner $54,428
- Occupational therapist $33,778
- Paralegal $14,609
- Paramedic $19,265
- Pharmacist $60,223
- Pharmacy technician −$2,879
- Physical therapist $37,610
- Physician assistant $52,019
- Plumber $36,078
- Radiologic technologist $22,188
- Respiratory therapist $25,406
- Social worker $10,964
- Speech-language pathologist $32,882
- Veterinarian $65,200
- Welder $1,517
Compare Chicago with other cities
Compare Chicago with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Chicago
68 licensed interstate movers are based in Chicago, and 198 more elsewhere in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Chicago, IL a good place to live?
Chicago is one of the pricier places for a typical paycheck: a typical worker keeps less here than in 138 of 178 other large cities. Higher earners do better. The typical worker here earns $54,720 and keeps $3,078 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Chicago?
Prices in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area are 4% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,856 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,520 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Chicago?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $50,700 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area earns $54,720.
What is the average rent in Chicago?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,750 for a studio, $1,856 for a 1-bedroom and $2,097 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Chicago at $1,486 a month (2024).
Does Chicago have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $54,720, Illinois state income tax comes to about $2,564 a year. Chicago has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Chicago?
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Chicago, led by Xfinity, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T. 33.3% of homes can get fiber and 54.5% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate