Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Astoria, OR: $2,806 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Astoria, OR
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Astoria, OR Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Astoria, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $2,806 in Astoria, OR.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Astoria, OR $2,806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $3,838 in Astoria, OR.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Astoria, OR $3,838

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $4,869 in Astoria, OR.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Astoria, OR $4,869

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 8% more expensive than in Astoria, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Astoria, OR 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.05 $20.05

3.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$81.2 $81.2

9.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$8.11 $8.11

62.64%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.51 $4.51

25.50%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.95 $1.95

35.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.02 $1.02

123.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.93 $4.93

39.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$4.03 $4.03

119.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.17 $1.17

6.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.63 $3.63

2.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.06 $4.06

32.76%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.97 $4.97

-4.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$14.66 $14.66

-5.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$13.64 $13.64

5.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.94 $17.94

2.45%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.96 $4.96

5.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.79 $1.79

10.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.87 $3.87

4.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.06 $4.06

22.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.09 $3.09

-13.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.28 $3.28

-18.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.84 $1.84

21.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.16 $2.16

44.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.53 $11.53

19.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.12 $15.12

-1.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.64 $1.64

54.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.02 $3.02

16.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.09 $2.09

16.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$56.6 $56.6

29.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.56 $3.56

-10.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.20 $2.20

-36.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$49.23 $49.23

-49.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.25 $1.25

-4.00%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$26.0K $26.0K

34.59%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$24.1K $24.1K

10.50%

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

$194 $194

$218 $218

-10.70%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$60.5 $60.5

14.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$98.5 $98.5

-37.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$37.34 $37.34

28.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.18 $15.18

17.33%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,084 $1,084

65.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$16.4K $16.4K

94.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$57.4 $57.4

16.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$46.48 $46.48

12.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$86.2 $86.2

17.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$81.0 $81.0

77.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,460 $1,460

73.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,462 $1,462

7.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,529 $2,529

87.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,914 $1,914

40.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,716 $3,716

12.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$3,633 $3,633

-23.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.59

3.34%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Astoria, OR: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Astoria, OR

$1.5K 52.1% 7.4% $116

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Astoria, OR

$415 14.8% 7.2% $32

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Astoria, OR

$283 10.1% 17.8% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Astoria, OR

$377 13.4% 15.7% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Astoria, OR

$122 4.4% 25.6% $42

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Astoria, OR

$80 2.8% 14.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Astoria, OR

$68 2.4% 18.9% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,460 in Astoria, OR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $81 in Astoria, OR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $415 per month, with Astoria, OR cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Astoria, OR

🕒 Local time

17:17 5:17 PM

15:17 3:17 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

9,626

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Astoria, OR 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Astoria, OR

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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,806 in Astoria, OR, so Astoria, OR is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,555 in Chicago, IL and $4,209 in Astoria, OR 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: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,460 in Astoria, OR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Astoria, OR – a meal for two runs $81 versus $89 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Astoria, OR gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.