Key takeaway: Beyond the 10.5% sales tax, Chicago charges 11% to 12% on restaurant meals, 10.25% on streaming services, 17.39% on hotel stays and 15 cents per checkout bag in 2026.
Chicago layers city, county and state taxes on a lot of everyday purchases. None of them are huge on their own, and knowing them helps you budget for a night out, a subscription or a visit from family. Here is the full list.
Everyday purchases
| What you buy | Tax in Chicago | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Most goods (sales tax) | 10.5% | 10.25% until August 1, 2026 |
| Groceries | 1.5% since August 1, 2026 | The state’s 1% grocery tax ended January 1; what’s left is the regional transit tax, which rose from 1.25% to 1.5% on groceries and drugs on August 1 (Illinois Department of Revenue) |
| Medicine and medical appliances | 2.5% since August 1, 2026 | The state’s 1% plus the 1.5% regional transit tax (Illinois Department of Revenue) |
| Restaurant meals and prepared food | 11%; 12% downtown | Our calculation: the 10.5% sales tax plus Chicago’s 0.5% restaurant tax, plus 1% in the McCormick Place tax district downtown |
| Bottled water | 5 cents a bottle | |
| Checkout bags | 15 cents a bag | Bring your own to skip it |
| Canned and bottled soft drinks | 3% | 9% on fountain syrup |
Source: Civic Federation, What Chicagoans Pay: A Guide to Consumer Taxes in 2026 (rates as of January 1, 2026); the August 1 transit tax increase from the Illinois Department of Revenue.
Entertainment, travel and getting around
| What you buy | Tax in Chicago |
|---|---|
| Concerts, games, movies (amusement tax) | 12% (9% city plus 3% county) |
| Streaming services and paid TV | 10.25% |
| Live cultural performances | 1% to 1.5% |
| Hotel stays | 17.39% |
| Home-sharing stays | about 23.4% |
| Parking, hourly or daily | 35.25% combined |
| Parking, monthly | 41.25% combined |
| Rideshare in the downtown congestion zone | extra $1.50 per single ride, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| Rideshare to O’Hare, Midway, Navy Pier or McCormick Place | extra $5 |
Source: Civic Federation 2026 consumer tax report.
Car, phone and utilities
| Item | Tax or fee |
|---|---|
| Gasoline | 81 cents a gallon in combined taxes |
| Diesel | 94 cents a gallon |
| City sticker, small car | $105.18 a year |
| City sticker, large car | $167.07 a year |
| Illinois plate registration | $151 a year |
| Phone and wireless service | 18.65% combined, plus a $5 monthly 911 charge per line |
| Cigarettes | $8.17 a pack in combined taxes |
Source: Civic Federation 2026 consumer tax report.
What Chicago consumer taxes add up to
- A $60 dinner for two outside downtown: about $6.60 in tax at 11%.
- A $15.99 streaming subscription: about $1.64 a month.
- A $250 hotel night for visiting family: about $43.48.
- A downtown garage at $250 a month: taxes are already in most posted monthly rates, so ask before you sign.
Source: our calculation at the rates above.
For how Chicago’s sales tax compares with other cities and what the August change means at the register, see our sales tax guide.