What it actually costs to live in Chicago right now.

Every number sourced. Checked this month.

Updated November 2: the Chicago cost index

The month’s key numbers in one table, each with its date. New this month: a 30-year mortgage averages 7.24% (Freddie Mac, October 29) and ComEd’s winter price to compare is 10.103 cents per kWh (Plug In Illinois).

See the Chicago cost index

Rent, the sales tax, a ride on the L, your ComEd bill, daycare. Every figure here links to the agency, filing or report it came from, so you can check it yourself.

Numbers last checked October 27, 2026. How much do you need to make to live here?

Find your number Compare all 77 community areas

$2,079Median one-bedroom rentZillow, Aug 2026

10.5%Sales tax on most purchasesSince Aug 1, 2026

$2.50One ride on the LCTA fare chart

$17.05City minimum wageSince July 1, 2026

Salary calculator

$57,400

Pay before taxes for a median $2,079 one-bedroom on a full budget with 10% saved ($83,160 by the 30% rule). Pick your neighborhood for your own number.

Find your number

Neighborhood finder

43 areas

Neighborhoods with a typical one-bedroom under $1,500. Filter by budget, L line or Metra.

Match your budget

Rent vs. buy calculator

About 6 years

How long until buying a median $389,900 home beats renting, in our calculation. Change any number.

Run your numbers

This winter

$613Average Midwest gas heating bill expected this winter, down 10% from last year (EIA)

Dec 1Overnight parking ban starts on main streets; a tow is at least $150 plus a $60 ticket (City of Chicago)

62%Fewer CTA rides on January 23, 2026, when the high was 5°F, than on a typical winter weekday (our winter index, from City of Chicago and NOAA data)

$20.54Average rideshare trip with tip and fees on January 21, 2025, a 2°F day, against $2.50 for a CTA ride (our winter index)

Plan for winter costs

The numbers

When a figure changes, we update it here and change the date. Colors match the topic, the same way they do on the L map.

Topic	What	Cost	Since	Source
Rent	Median one-bedroom rent	$2,079/mo	Aug 2026	Zillow, via Axios
Taxes	Combined sales tax, most purchases	10.5%	Aug 1, 2026	Illinois Policy Institute
Taxes	Median homeowner property tax bill, tax year 2025	$4,597	Up 3.2% in a year	Cook County Treasurer
Taxes	Checkout bag tax	15¢ a bag	Jan 1, 2026	League of Women Voters Chicago
Transit	CTA train ride / bus ride	$2.50 / $2.25	No change in 2026	CTA fare chart
Transit	CTA 30-day pass	$75	No change in 2026	CTA fare chart
Utilities	ComEd price to compare, Oct 2026 to May 2027	10.103¢/kWh	Oct 1, 2026	Plug In Illinois
Childcare	Infant care at a quality center	$1,800 to $2,900/mo	2026	Wonderschool
Wages	Chicago minimum wage (tipped $12.96)	$17.05/hr	Jul 1, 2026	ABC7 Chicago

One Chicago ZIP code, 60623, is listed at 11% sales tax in the Kintsugi rate table (September 2026), because its local rate is 1.75% instead of 1.25%. More in our sales tax guide.

Out-of-date numbers you’ll still find online

Search any of these and the first answers are often wrong. Here’s what’s true as of this month.

You’ll read ~~$2.75 to ride the L~~

Still $2.50

The CTA floated a 25 cent hike for 2026, then dropped it once Springfield passed the transit funding bill. That law blocks fare increases this year.

You’ll read ~~10.25% sales tax~~

10.5% now

The regional transit tax went from 1% to 1.25% on August 1. That’s another quarter on every $100 you spend, groceries included.

You’ll read ~~$16.60 minimum wage~~

$17.05 now

Chicago’s rate rises every July 1 with inflation. Suburban Cook County sits lower, at $15.40.

Pick your neighborhood, pick your price

Chicago has room for every budget, from South Side two-flats to high-rises with a doorman and a rooftop pool. And big-city living here still costs less than New York, LA, San Francisco or Boston, where average rents run closer to $3,000 (Axios). See all 77 community areas, plus 15 popular neighborhoods within them, side by side in our neighborhood cost comparison, then work out your own number with our salary calculator. For the key numbers on one page, see our Chicago cost index. Not sure where to start? Our neighborhood finder matches neighborhoods to your rent budget and commute.

$1,525Auburn Gresham, 60620

$1,950Uptown, 60640

$2,150Pilsen, 60608

$2,450Lakeview, 60657

$3,200River West, 60642

Average monthly rent across all listings in each ZIP code, July 2026, from RentHop. Want the full luxury treatment? Newer downtown one-bedrooms in River North, Streeterville and the Loop often run $2,700 and up (Rentler). See all 11 ZIP codes in our rent by ZIP guide.

Start here

Seven guides most people start with. The menu above has the rest, from parking to pets.

What a one-bedroom costsFour rent reports, explained Rent by ZIP code11 neighborhoods compared Sales tax at the registerWhat 10.5% adds, and what it doesn’t CTA fares in 2026Still $2.50, and when a pass pays off Your utility billsComEd, Peoples Gas and water Daycare costsCenters, in-home care and nannies Planning on $17.05The monthly math, made friendlier

How we check

We only use a number if we can link to where it came from: the CTA, the city, the Cook County Treasurer, the utility’s own filings, or reporting from local newsrooms. When sources disagree, as they do on rent, we show more than one and say why. See something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we’ll fix it. Read our full methodology.

From Joe: I work with clients relocating to Chicago, and I kept seeing the same problem: there wasn’t one reliable place to understand what it actually costs to live here, neighborhood by neighborhood. So I built one. More about me.