Key takeaway: A one-bedroom in Little Italy and University Village averages about $2,343 a month in large buildings in 2026, well below the $2,800 Near West Side average that includes the West Loop, and the Blue Line, a Metra stop and an indoor Olympic-size pool are all close by.
Little Italy and University Village, around Taylor Street and the University of Illinois Chicago, make up the southern part of the Near West Side, along with the Illinois Medical District. The area mixes old Italian restaurants, campus housing, rowhouses and new mid-rises. For the north end of the community area, see our West Loop and Fulton Market pages. Its typical one-bedroom, about $2,343 a month, runs about $264 above the citywide typical of $2,079 (Zillow, September 2026), the 15th highest of the 92 areas in our neighborhood comparison.
| Typical one-bedroom | $2,343 a month |
| Typical two-bedroom | $2,406 a month |
| Income for your own one-bedroom | About $93,720 a year |
| L lines | Blue |
| Metra | BNSF |
| Part of the city | West Side |
On this page: Rent · Getting around · Groceries · Parks · Parking · Taxes and home prices · Sample budget
Rent by apartment size
| Unit | RentCafe, Little Italy (avg., Sept 2026) | Zumper, all Near West Side (avg., Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,240 | $2,288 |
| 1 bedroom | $2,343 | $2,804 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,406 | $3,813 |
| 3 bedrooms | n/a | $5,146 |
Source: RentCafe Little Italy, updated September 6, 2026, which covers buildings with 50 or more units; Zumper Near West Side rent research, updated October 25, 2026, which includes the pricier West Loop and Fulton Market. Smaller buildings and student rentals near campus can run lower. Sources differ because they track different listings; see why rent reports disagree.
Getting around
- Blue Line: UIC-Halsted, Racine and Illinois Medical District stations on the Forest Park branch (CTA Blue Line). CTA fares are $2.25 a bus ride and $2.50 a train ride with Ventra, or $75 for a 30-day pass (CTA fares).
- Metra: Halsted on the BNSF line at 16th and Halsted, Zone 2: $3.75 one way or $75 a month (Metra fares).
- Buses: #12 Roosevelt, #8 Halsted and #9 Ashland, which runs all night.
A 30-day CTA pass is $75 (CTA).
Groceries nearby
| Store | Address |
|---|---|
| Jewel-Osco Roosevelt and Ashland | 1220 S. Ashland Ave. |
| Jewel-Osco Canal and 14th | 1340 S. Canal St. |
| Whole Foods South Loop | 1101 S. Canal St. |
Source: each store’s own location page or locator, checked October 25, 2026. See our Chicago grocery guide.
Parks
Fosco Park at 1312 S. Racine Ave. has an indoor Olympic-size pool, a fitness center and playgrounds with water features, and Arrigo Park at 801 S. Loomis St. is a quiet seven-acre green.
Parking
If you will have a car, check your block with the City Clerk’s zone lookup before you sign a lease. Adding a residential permit zone to your City Sticker costs $25 to $35 a year, on top of the $105.18 passenger-car sticker; our parking guide covers guest passes, meters and garages.
Property taxes and home prices
The Assessor reports by community area, so these 2024 medians cover the whole Near West Side, West Loop included: $355,000 for a condo, $700,000 for a single-family home and $735,000 for a two-to-six-unit building (Cook County Assessor, 2024 Chicago report). Citywide, the median Chicago homeowner bill for tax year 2025, mailed in August 2026, was $4,597, up 3.2% (Cook County Treasurer). For how bills are set and how to appeal, see our property tax guide, and to weigh owning against renting, our rent vs. buy calculator.
Little Italy cost of living: a sample monthly budget
| Setup | Rent | CTA pass | Income needed at 30% rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own one-bedroom | $2,343 | $75 | $93,720 |
| Half of a two-bedroom | $1,203 | $75 | $48,120 |
| Your own two-bedroom | $2,406 | $75 | $96,240 |
Source: our calculation from the RentCafe Little Italy figures above (half of $2,406, rounded). Income needed is monthly rent times 12, divided by 0.30. For a fuller answer that includes taxes and the rest of your budget, try our Chicago salary calculator, and see 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 West Side neighborhood profiles: Austin, East and West Garfield Park, Galewood, Humboldt Park, Little Village, North Lawndale, Pilsen, Ukrainian Village and Wicker Park.
Costs that apply in every neighborhood: property tax bills, closing costs and condo fees, water, sewer and garbage fees, ComEd and Peoples Gas, CTA fares, parking, average salaries by job and our Chicago cost index.
Sources
- RentCafe: Little Italy rent
- Zumper: Near West Side rent
- CTA: Blue Line
- CTA fares
- Metra: Halsted
- Metra fare table
- Jewel-Osco: Roosevelt and Ashland
- Jewel-Osco: Canal and 14th
- Whole Foods: South Loop
- Chicago Park District: Fosco Park
- Chicago Park District: Arrigo Park
- City of Chicago: list of L stops
- CTA fares
- City Clerk: City Sticker prices
- City Clerk: residential zone parking
- Cook County Assessor: 2024 Chicago report
- Cook County Treasurer: tax year 2025 analysis