Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,199 in Bend, OR, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Bend, OR
Learn more

Bend, OR Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Bend, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$3,199

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bend, 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 Bend, OR and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,199 in Bend, OR versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL.

Bend, OR $3,199
Chicago, IL $3,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,462 in Bend, OR versus $4,518 in Chicago, IL.

Bend, OR $4,462
Chicago, IL $4,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,724 in Bend, OR versus $5,999 in Chicago, IL.

Bend, OR $5,724
Chicago, IL $5,999

Living in Bend, OR is roughly 5% more expensive than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bend, OR 135% above, Chicago, IL 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.31 $21.31

$20.71 $20.71

2.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.1 $89.1

$89.2 $89.2

-0.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 $10.25

$13.19 $13.19

-22.29%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$5.66 $5.66

0.35%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$2.64 $2.64

-7.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.28 $2.28

-22.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 $6.32

$6.87 $6.87

-8.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 $8.01

$8.84 $8.84

-9.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.25 $1.25

-8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 $3.30

$3.72 $3.72

-11.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$5.39 $5.39

-20.41%

Eggs

$3.56 $3.56

$4.74 $4.74

-24.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.93 $18.93

$13.84 $13.84

36.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.94 $10.94

$14.40 $14.40

-24.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.21 $26.21

$18.38 $18.38

42.60%

Apples (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$5.22 $5.22

18.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.98 $1.98

-13.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.54 $6.54

$4.06 $4.06

61.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$4.97 $4.97

7.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.67 $2.67

-28.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.66 $2.66

23.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.24 $2.24

17.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 $3.53

$3.13 $3.13

12.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.42 $11.42

$13.82 $13.82

-17.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.98 $15.98

$14.88 $14.88

7.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.54 $2.54

-32.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.51 $3.51

45.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.43 $2.43

-16.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.5 $60.5

$73.5 $73.5

-17.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.18 $3.18

28.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.39 $1.39

76.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.67 $44.67

$25.03 $25.03

78.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.20 $1.20

9.17%

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

$29.3K $29.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

-16.46%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$26.7K $26.7K

-7.91%

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

$199 $199

$194 $194

2.26%

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

$78.1 $78.1

$69.5 $69.5

12.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$61.6 $61.6

39.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.31 $44.31

$47.90 $47.90

-7.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.95 $39.95

$27.34 $27.34

46.12%

Cinema Ticket

$14.58 $14.58

$17.81 $17.81

-18.14%

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

$1,140 $1,140

$1,794 $1,794

-36.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.8K $31.8K

$31.9K $31.9K

-0.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 $63.1

$67.0 $67.0

-5.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.2 $71.2

$52.1 $52.1

36.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 $89.8

$102 $102

-11.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$144 $144

-17.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,957 $1,957

$2,526 $2,526

-22.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 $1,714

$1,578 $1,578

8.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,973 $2,973

$4,738 $4,738

-37.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,360 $2,360

$2,693 $2,693

-12.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,698 $6,698

$4,190 $4,190

59.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,029 $4,029

$2,768 $2,768

45.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,781 $4,781

$4,931 $4,931

-3.04%

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 Bend, 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

Bend, OR

$1.7K 53.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 7.9% $136

Groceries & Markets

Bend, OR

$476 14.9%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 6% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bend, OR

$363 11.4%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 10.3% $37

Eating Out

Bend, OR

$334 10.4%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 3.3% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Bend, OR

$154 4.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 6.5% $10

Getting Around

Bend, OR

$85 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 9.9% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Bend, OR

$73 2.3%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 13.7% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,957 in Bend, OR and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $89 in Bend, OR vs $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $476 vs $447, with Chicago, IL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bend, OR

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

13:32 1:32 PM

15:32 3:32 PM

2 h ahead of Bend, OR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

111,823

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bend, OR Chicago, IL 2,730 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Bend, 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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,199 in Bend, OR and $3,037 in Chicago, IL, so Chicago, IL is about 5% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Bend, OR. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,957 in Bend, OR versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Bend, OR. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,199 per month in Bend, OR versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Chicago, IL is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Chicago, IL 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.