Key takeaway: Moving into a $2,000 Chicago one-bedroom takes about $3,060 up front with a move-in fee, plus $110 to $125 for a first month of internet and a $75 CTA pass. With a car, add a $105.18 City Sticker within 30 days. A move from another state averages about $5,066 (Angi).
Most of what it costs to move here is predictable once it is on one list. Here is a checklist in the order you will pay, with the one deadline that carries a late fee, so you can plan your first month.
Before you move: getting your stuff here
If you are coming from another state, the move itself is usually the biggest single cost. Angi puts an out-of-state move from Chicago at about $5,066 on average, with most moves between $2,931 and $7,220. Distance and weight drive the price, and peak summer demand pushes rates up, so a fall or winter move can cost less. Use these as a ballpark for a move in either direction and get quotes for your own route.
| Long-distance option | Typical cost per move |
|---|---|
| Full-service movers | $1,460 to $10,100 |
| Rental truck | $1,250 to $2,180 |
| Moving container | $730 to $3,320 |
| Average out-of-state move | $5,066 |
Source: Angi, long-distance moving costs from Chicago, checked October 26, 2026.
Moving within the city is much cheaper: about $510 for a one-bedroom with local movers. Our Chicago move-in costs guide has local mover prices by home size, plus the rules on security deposits, move-in fees and application fees.
Move-in day: what the apartment costs up front
- First month’s rent.
- A security deposit (often one month’s rent) or a non-refundable move-in fee, commonly $350 to $700. See move-in costs for the sources and the 2027 Illinois cap on application fees.
- An application fee, capped at $50 in Illinois starting January 1, 2027.
- Elevator reservation, if your building requires one. Ask before you book movers.
Your first week: utilities, internet and transit
- Electricity and gas: ComEd delivers power and Peoples Gas delivers gas in the city. Ask your landlord which utilities are in your name and whether heat is included. Our ComEd and Peoples Gas guide has current rates.
- Internet: plans start at about $35 to $50 a month before taxes, depending on the provider at your address. See internet and phone costs.
- Transit: you can tap a contactless bank card or a phone wallet to ride, with no Ventra Card needed. If you want a card, it costs $5, and that $5 comes back as transit value once you register it (CTA). A ride is $2.50 on the L and $2.25 on the bus, and a 30-day pass is $75 (CTA fare chart). More in our CTA fares guide.
- Renters insurance: many leases require it. See our renters insurance guide for typical prices.
- A library card: free at the Chicago Public Library with a current ID showing your name, photo and Chicago address (Chicago Public Library).
Within 30 days: the City Sticker if you have a car
Every vehicle kept at a Chicago address needs a City Sticker. Buy it within 30 days of living in Chicago to avoid the late fee. Your sticker term starts on the first of the month you move in, and prices are prorated for the time left on it (City Clerk). The Clerk also sells a reduced-term sticker you can pay for four months at a time.
| City Sticker (2026) | Price for a full year |
|---|---|
| Motorbike | $55.69 |
| Passenger vehicle | $105.18 |
| Large passenger vehicle | $167.07 |
| Senior, 65 and older (passenger or motorbike) | $37 |
| Late fee after the 30-day window | $60 ($30 for senior stickers) |
Source: City Clerk of Chicago, City Sticker FAQs, checked October 26, 2026.
If your block is a residential permit zone, the zone permit adds $25 to $35 a year to your sticker; see our parking costs guide for zones, guest passes and meters. A ticket for having no sticker is $200, one of several fines listed in our guide to what it costs to own a car in Chicago.
Your license and plates
New residents switch their driver’s license and vehicle plates to Illinois through the Illinois Secretary of State’s new resident page, which lists the current deadlines and documents. Illinois plate renewal and title fees are in our car cost guide.
Moving to Chicago cost: a sample first-month budget
| Item | Transit only | With a car |
|---|---|---|
| Move-in up front ($2,000 rent, $500 move-in fee, $50 application fee, $510 local movers) | $3,060 | $3,060 |
| First month of internet | $35 to $50 | $35 to $50 |
| CTA 30-day pass | $75 | Not included |
| City Sticker, passenger vehicle | Not needed | $105.18 |
| Residential zone permit, if your block has one | Not needed | $25 to $35 |
| Total | $3,170 to $3,185 | $3,225 to $3,250 |
Source: our calculation. Move-in total from our move-in costs guide (Domu move-in fee range, FreightWaves mover average); internet from our internet guide; pass from the CTA fare chart; sticker from the City Clerk; zone permit range from our parking guide. Add a long-distance move (about $5,066 on average, Angi) if you are coming from another state. Totals with a car are rounded to the dollar.
Ways to keep moving costs down
- Ask whether the building takes a move-in fee or a deposit. A fee costs less up front; a deposit comes back if the apartment is in good shape.
- Register your Ventra Card right away so the $5 card cost turns into fare value, or skip the card and tap your bank card.
- Buy the City Sticker inside the 30-day window to skip the $60 late fee.
- Get at least two quotes for a long-distance move, and price a container or rental truck too.
- Pick the neighborhood with real numbers: our neighborhood finder, the neighborhood cost comparison and the Chicago salary calculator show rent and the income it takes.