Key takeaway: Chicago’s median home sold for $409,805 in September 2026, less than in Evanston, Oak Park or Naperville, and Chicago’s effective property tax rate of 1.69% was lower than all four suburbs we compared, while its 10.5% sales tax ties Evanston for the highest.
If you’re deciding between Chicago and a suburb, the tradeoffs are home prices, property taxes, sales tax, wages and the commute. Here’s how Chicago compares with Evanston, Oak Park, Naperville and Schaumburg.
Chicago vs suburbs cost of living, side by side
| Place | Median home sale price | Effective property tax rate (2022) | Sales tax | Metra monthly pass to downtown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $409,805 | 1.69% | 10.5% | $75 within the city |
| Evanston | $500,317 | 2.06% | 10.5% | $75 (Zone 2) |
| Oak Park | $522,751 | 2.89% | 10.25% | $75 (Zone 2) |
| Naperville | $659,686 | 1.81% (DuPage part) | 8% | $135 (Zone 4) |
| Schaumburg | $372,753 (August) | 2.31% | 10.25% | $135 (Zone 4) |
Source: median sale prices from Redfin for September 2026 (Schaumburg’s latest was August); effective residential property tax rates for tax year 2022 from the Civic Federation, the latest it has published, which exclude homeowner exemptions in Cook County; sales tax from Avalara’s city pages, which include the regional transit tax that rose on August 1, 2026 (Illinois Department of Revenue); Metra fares from the Metra fare table, with zones from the Daily Herald and, for Schaumburg, Wikipedia. Illinois Realtors put Chicago’s September median at $389,900; sources differ in what sales they count.
Rent
Zumper’s average one-bedroom rent was $1,600 in Evanston and $1,966 in Oak Park in October 2026 (Zumper Evanston; Zumper Oak Park), compared with a $2,200 median one-bedroom in Chicago (Zumper Chicago). Chicago’s range is wide: our neighborhood comparison shows one-bedrooms from about $1,010 to $3,000.
Wages
Chicago’s minimum wage is $17.05 an hour. Suburban Cook County’s is $15.40 and the Illinois minimum, which applies in DuPage towns like Naperville, is $15.00 (ABC7). See our Chicago minimum wage guide.
What it adds up to
A $450,000 home at Chicago’s 1.69% effective rate means about $7,605 a year in property tax, compared with about $9,270 at Evanston’s 2.06% and $13,005 at Oak Park’s 2.89% (our calculation, using the 2022 rates above; actual bills depend on exemptions and assessments). City living also saves the extra Metra fare: a Naperville or Schaumburg commuter pays $60 a month more for a pass than someone riding Metra within Chicago. To compare your own numbers, try our rent vs. buy calculator and salary calculator.
Sources
- Redfin: Chicago housing market
- Redfin: Evanston
- Redfin: Oak Park
- Redfin: Naperville
- Redfin: Schaumburg
- Civic Federation: effective property tax rates 2013 to 2022
- Illinois Department of Revenue: transit tax change
- Avalara: Evanston
- Avalara: Oak Park
- Avalara: Naperville
- Avalara: Schaumburg
- Metra fare table
- Daily Herald: Metra zones
- Zumper: Evanston
- Zumper: Oak Park
- Zumper: Chicago
- ABC7: minimum wage