What groceries cost in Chicago in 2026
Chicago-area grocery prices rose 1.4% in a year. Average household food spending, USDA budgets by eating style, and which stores cost less.
Food and Groceries
Taxes and Fees
Every Chicago consumer tax in 2026, in one place
Chicago taxes on restaurants, streaming, hotels, parking, rideshare, phones, gas and more in 2026, with what they add to common purchases.
Transit
Chicago parking costs 2026: permits, meters and garages
Residential zone permits, guest passes, street meter rates by area and downtown garage prices in Chicago, all from official 2026 rates.
Transit
Divvy prices 2026: membership, e-bikes and scooters
What Divvy costs in 2026: the $143.90 membership, per-minute e-bike and scooter rates, the $19.90 day pass and the $5 Divvy for Everyone plan.
Transit
Metra fares 2026: one-way, day pass and monthly prices
Every 2026 Metra fare by zone, the passes that cost the same everywhere, reduced fares, and when a monthly pass pays off. Fares held flat this year.
Transit
What it costs to own a car in Chicago (2026)
Insurance, the city sticker, parking, gas taxes and tolls, plus how a car compares with a $75 CTA pass.
Taxes and Fees
Your Cook County property tax bill, explained (2026)
The median Chicago homeowner bill, how bills are set, the exemptions that lower them, and how to appeal your home’s value in Cook County.
Updates
Every Chicago cost change in 2026 so far
What held steady, what got cheaper and what went up for Chicago households in 2026, all in one place.
Wages and Income
Chicago’s $17.05 minimum wage: what it covers and how to plan
Chicago’s minimum wage rose to $17.05 on July 1. Here is the monthly math, and the neighborhoods and choices that make a paycheck go further.
Childcare
What daycare costs in Chicago in 2026
Full-time infant care at a quality Chicago center runs about $1,800 to $2,900 a month. Here is how centers, in-home care and nannies compare.