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.
Chicago student cost of living 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.