Cost of living in Albany Park, Chicago (2026)

Key takeaway: A one-bedroom in Albany Park rents for about $1,460 to $1,550 a month in 2026, two-bedrooms about $1,950 to $2,100, and the Brown Line ends here at Kimball with a $75 monthly CTA pass covering the ride downtown.

Albany Park is on the Northwest Side around Lawrence and Kedzie, with the North Branch of the river along its eastern edge. You get a lot of rail and bus service for the rent. Here’s what it costs.

Rent by apartment size

UnitZumper (avg., Oct 2026)RentHop, Albany Park (avg., Jul 2026)RentHop, ZIP 60625 (median, Jul 2026)
Studio$1,300$1,550$1,438
1 bedroom$1,550$1,463$1,799
2 bedrooms$1,950$2,100$2,200
3 bedrooms$2,250n/a$2,900

Source: Zumper Albany Park rent research, updated October 22, 2026; RentHop Albany Park; RentHop 60625. ZIP 60625 also covers Lincoln Square, which pulls its figures up. Sources differ because they track different listings; see why rent reports disagree.

Getting around

  • L: Brown Line at Kimball, Kedzie and Francisco. Kimball is the end of the line, so you can usually get a seat. From the City of Chicago’s list of L stops.
  • Metra: Mayfair station on the Milwaukee District North Line, on the western edge, is Zone 2: $3.75 one way (Metra fares). See Metra fares.
  • Buses: #53 Pulaski, #78 Montrose, #81 Lawrence, #82 Kimball-Homan, #92 Foster and #93 California/Dodge.

A 30-day CTA pass is $75 (CTA).

Groceries nearby

StoreAddress
Jewel-Osco Foster and Pulaski4042 W. Foster Ave.
ALDI5001 N. Pulaski Rd.
Target Mayfair (just west)4631 W. Foster Ave.
HarvesTime Foods (just east)2632 W. Lawrence Ave.

Source: each store’s own location page or locator, checked October 25, 2026. See our Chicago grocery guide.

Parking

Many residential blocks are permit zones. Adding your zone to your City Sticker costs $25 to $35 a year (the City Clerk’s City Sticker page lists $25 and its zone parking FAQ lists $35), on top of a $105.18 sticker for a passenger car in 2026. Guest passes are $15 for a sheet of 15. Check your block with the Clerk’s zone lookup before you sign a lease if you’ll have a car. More in our Chicago parking guide.

Property taxes and home prices

Albany Park is entirely in Jefferson Township (Jefferson Township). The Assessor’s 2024 report put Albany Park median sale prices at $225,000 for a condo, $489,000 for a single-family home and $600,000 for a two-to-six-unit building (Cook County Assessor, 2024 Chicago report). The Treasurer put the 2024 median sale price for the wider Albany Park and Far Northwest Side area at $457,000 (Cook County Treasurer, tax year 2024 report). Citywide, the median Chicago homeowner bill for tax year 2025, mailed in August 2026, was $4,597, up 3.2% (Cook County Treasurer).

Properties along Lawrence, Kedzie and other business streets are in SSA 60, which funds local services (SSA 60 map). For how bills are set and how to appeal, see our property tax guide.

A sample monthly budget

SetupRentCTA passIncome needed at 30% rent
Your own one-bedroom$1,550$75$62,000
Half of a two-bedroom$975$75$39,000
Your own two-bedroom$1,950$75$78,000

Source: our calculation from the Zumper averages above. Income needed is monthly rent times 12, divided by 0.30. See how much you need to make to live in Chicago for the rest of the budget, and Chicago move-in costs for what you’ll pay up front.

Compare every neighborhood side by side in our Chicago neighborhood cost comparison, or work out your own number with our salary calculator. More neighborhood cost profiles: Avondale, Beverly, Bridgeport, Bronzeville, Chatham, Chinatown, East and West Garfield Park, Edgewater and Andersonville, Gold Coast and Old Town, Humboldt Park, Hyde Park, Irving Park, Jefferson Park, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Lincoln Square, Little Village, Logan Square, McKinley Park, North Center, Pilsen, Portage Park, River North and Streeterville, Rogers Park, South Loop, Uptown, West Loop, West Ridge and Wicker Park and Ukrainian Village.

Sources

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