Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Bend, OR
Learn more

Bend, OR Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Bend, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$3,199

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$21.31 $21.31

-2.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$89.1 $89.1

0.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.25 $10.25

28.68%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.68 $5.68

-0.35%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.43 $2.43

8.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.77 $1.77

28.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.32 $6.32

8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.01 $8.01

10.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.15 $1.15

8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.30 $3.30

12.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.29 $4.29

25.64%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.56 $3.56

33.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$18.93 $18.93

-26.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$10.94 $10.94

31.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$26.21 $26.21

-29.87%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.16 $6.16

-15.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.71 $1.71

15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$6.54 $6.54

-37.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.34 $5.34

-6.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.91 $1.91

39.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.29 $3.29

-19.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.64 $2.64

-15.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.53 $3.53

-11.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.42 $11.42

21.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.98 $15.98

-6.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.71 $1.71

48.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$5.11 $5.11

-31.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.03 $2.03

19.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$60.5 $60.5

21.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.08 $4.08

-22.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.45 $2.45

-43.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$44.67 $44.67

-43.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.31 $1.31

-8.40%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$29.3K $29.3K

19.71%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$24.6K $24.6K

8.59%

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

$194 $194

$199 $199

-2.21%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$78.1 $78.1

-11.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$86.1 $86.1

-28.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$44.31 $44.31

8.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$39.95 $39.95

-31.56%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.58 $14.58

22.15%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,140 $1,140

57.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$31.8K $31.8K

0.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$63.1 $63.1

6.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$71.2 $71.2

-26.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$89.8 $89.8

13.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$118 $118

21.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,957 $1,957

29.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,714 $1,714

-7.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,973 $2,973

59.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,360 $2,360

14.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$6,698 $6,698

-37.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$4,029 $4,029

-31.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,781 $4,781

3.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.78

0.44%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bend, OR: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Bend, OR

$1.7K 53.6% 8.6% $136

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Bend, OR

$476 14.9% 6.4% $29

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Bend, OR

$334 10.4% 3.2% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Bend, OR

$363 11.4% 11.5% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Bend, OR

$154 4.8% 6.1% $10

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Bend, OR

$85 2.7% 9% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Bend, OR

$73 2.3% 12% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,957 in Bend, OR. 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 Chicago, IL vs $89 in Bend, OR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $476 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bend, OR

🕒 Local time

17:06 5:06 PM

15:06 3:06 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

111,823

💱 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 Bend, OR 2,730 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

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

Average pay runs 3% higher in Chicago, IL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,957 in Bend, OR. 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 $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL versus $3,199 in Bend, OR – 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.