Key takeaway: Chicago universities estimate housing and food at about $16,550 to $21,400 a year for 2026-27, and a CTA U-Pass for unlimited rides costs UIC students $163 a semester.
Studying in Chicago gives you a big city with student discounts on transit and bikes. Here’s what the four biggest universities estimate for living costs, and how to keep them down.
Living costs by school, 2026-27
| School | Housing and food | Books | Transportation | Personal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UIC | $17,800 on campus, $16,550 off campus | $1,400 | $1,526 | $4,500 |
| DePaul | $20,766 | $1,104 | $1,290 | $4,794 |
| University of Chicago | $21,414 | $1,800 | $702 | $1,950 |
| Loyola | $18,572 average room and board | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
Source: each school’s 2026-27 cost of attendance, linked in the table; UChicago’s figures via QuestBridge, a partner site. Tuition is separate and not included here.
Transit and bikes
- CTA U-Pass: unlimited CTA rides during the semester, billed through your school. UIC students pay $163 a semester for 2026-27 (University of Illinois Board of Trustees); prices vary by school.
- Divvy student membership: $118.90 a year, with the first 45 minutes of each classic bike ride included (Divvy). See our Divvy guide.
Living off campus
Sharing an apartment is the biggest way to save. Half of a two-bedroom runs about $900 to $1,000 a month in Pilsen, Rogers Park and Bridgeport, near UIC, Loyola and IIT, and about $1,048 in Hyde Park near UChicago (our neighborhood profiles). See Pilsen, Rogers Park, Hyde Park and Lincoln Park near DePaul, plus Chicago move-in costs and renters insurance.