Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashland, OR and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Ashland, OR: $2,602 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Ashland, OR
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Ashland, OR Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index

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Ashland, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,602

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ashland, OR and in Chicago, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ashland, OR and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,602 in Ashland, OR versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL.

Ashland, OR $2,602
Chicago, IL $3,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,780 in Ashland, OR versus $4,518 in Chicago, IL.

Ashland, OR $3,780
Chicago, IL $4,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,958 in Ashland, OR versus $5,999 in Chicago, IL.

Ashland, OR $4,958
Chicago, IL $5,999

Living in Ashland, OR costs roughly 14% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashland, OR 91% above, Chicago, IL 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.97 $14.97

$20.71 $20.71

-27.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.3 $69.3

$89.2 $89.2

-22.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 $9.87

$13.19 $13.19

-25.17%

Cappuccino

$5.11 $5.11

$5.66 $5.66

-9.72%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.64 $2.64

-26.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.28 $2.28

-19.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 $5.92

$6.87 $6.87

-13.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$8.84 $8.84

-9.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.25 $1.25

-27.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.72 $3.72

-15.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$5.39 $5.39

-29.31%

Eggs

$1.77 $1.77

$4.74 $4.74

-62.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.90 $11.90

$13.84 $13.84

-14.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$14.40 $14.40

-22.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.19 $14.19

$18.38 $18.38

-22.80%

Apples (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$5.22 $5.22

20.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.98 $1.98

-14.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$4.06 $4.06

-17.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.28 $5.28

$4.97 $4.97

6.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.67 $2.67

-31.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.66 $2.66

-36.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.24 $2.24

-8.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.13 $3.13

6.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$13.82 $13.82

-28.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.86 $8.86

$14.88 $14.88

-40.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.54 $2.54

-33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$3.51 $3.51

-31.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.43 $2.43

-16.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.1 $56.1

$73.5 $73.5

-23.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.18 $3.18

29.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.39 $1.39

83.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.56 $44.56

$25.03 $25.03

78.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.20 $1.20

8.33%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.3K $28.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.22%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.0K $24.0K

$26.7K $26.7K

-10.08%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$194 $194

0.02%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$77.0 $77.0

$69.5 $69.5

10.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$61.6 $61.6

39.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.79 $41.79

$47.90 $47.90

-12.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$14.16 $14.16

$17.81 $17.81

-20.49%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,134 $1,134

$1,794 $1,794

-36.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K $19.8K

$31.9K $31.9K

-38.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 $61.0

$67.0 $67.0

-8.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.4 $71.4

$52.1 $52.1

37.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 $89.5

$102 $102

-11.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$144 $144

-16.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,526 $2,526

-37.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 $1,302

$1,578 $1,578

-17.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,470 $2,470

$4,738 $4,738

-47.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 $2,149

$2,693 $2,693

-20.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,688 $2,688

$4,190 $4,190

-35.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,374 $2,374

$2,768 $2,768

-14.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.81

-0.44%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ashland, OR: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ashland, OR

$1.3K 50%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 21.2% $276

Groceries & Markets

Ashland, OR

$366 14.1%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 22.1% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashland, OR

$358 13.7%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 9% $32

Eating Out

Ashland, OR

$271 10.4%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 27% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Ashland, OR

$154 5.9%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 6.5% $10

Getting Around

Ashland, OR

$81 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 15.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Ashland, OR

$70 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 19.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,578 in Ashland, OR and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69 in Ashland, OR vs $89 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $447 per month, with Ashland, OR cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ashland, OR

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

15:58 3:58 PM

17:58 5:58 PM

2 h ahead of Ashland, OR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,684

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Ashland, OR Chicago, IL 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Ashland, OR
Chicago, IL

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ashland, OR vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashland, OR is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,903 in Ashland, OR and $4,555 in Chicago, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,578 in Ashland, OR versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ashland, OR – a meal for two runs $69 versus $89 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,602 per month in Ashland, OR versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Ashland, OR is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Ashland, OR is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Ashland, OR gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.