Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Grants Pass, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in Grants Pass, OR: $2,391 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
114

Cost of Living Index in Grants Pass, OR
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Grants Pass, OR Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Grants Pass, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,391 in Grants Pass, OR, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Grants Pass, OR $2,391

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,235 in Grants Pass, OR, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Grants Pass, OR $3,235

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,080 in Grants Pass, OR, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Grants Pass, OR $4,080

Chicago, IL costs about 27% more than Grants Pass, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Grants Pass, OR sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Grants Pass, OR by 76%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$15.21 $15.21

36.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$45.90 $45.90

94.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.24 $9.24

42.75%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.04 $4.04

40.10%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.02 $2.02

30.69%

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

$5.07 $5.07

35.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$3.91 $3.91

126.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.16 $1.16

7.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.01 $3.01

23.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.20 $4.20

28.33%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.08 $4.08

16.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$14.66 $14.66

-5.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$5.41 $5.41

166.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$13.25 $13.25

38.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.76 $4.76

9.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.32 $1.32

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.93 $3.93

3.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.06 $4.06

22.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.90 $1.90

40.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.01 $2.01

32.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.77 $1.77

26.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.14 $2.14

46.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.52 $11.52

19.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$6.91 $6.91

115.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.67 $1.67

52.10%

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

$0.98 $0.98

147.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.40 $3.40

-6.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.16 $2.16

-35.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$49.38 $49.38

-49.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.17 $1.17

2.56%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$25.4K $25.4K

37.90%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.0K $25.0K

6.66%

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

$194 $194

$222 $222

-12.52%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$61.8 $61.8

12.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$78.6 $78.6

-21.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$7.93 $7.93

124.59%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,083 $1,083

65.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$16.5K $16.5K

93.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$56.0 $56.0

19.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$46.42 $46.42

12.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$84.3 $84.3

20.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$80.7 $80.7

78.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,251 $1,251

102.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,306 $1,306

20.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,021 $2,021

134.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,849 $1,849

45.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,915 $2,915

43.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,885 $2,885

-4.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$2,401 $2,401

105.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.35

7.24%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Grants Pass, OR: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Grants Pass, OR

$1.3K 54.7% 17.2% $272

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Grants Pass, OR

$324 13.6% 27.5% $123

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Grants Pass, OR

$243 10.2% 29.5% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Grants Pass, OR

$363 15.2% 11.4% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Grants Pass, OR

$120 5% 26.6% $44

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Grants Pass, OR

$18 * 0.8% 80.6% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Grants Pass, OR

$16 * 0.7% 81% $68

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,251 in Grants Pass, OR. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chicago, IL are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $46 in Grants Pass, OR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $324 – making Grants Pass, OR the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Grants Pass, OR

🕒 Local time

09:13 9:13 AM

07:13 7:13 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

34,533

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Grants Pass, OR 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,391 in Grants Pass, OR – Grants Pass, OR comes out roughly 21% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,586 in Grants Pass, OR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Grants Pass, OR, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,251 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $46 in Grants Pass, OR. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Grants Pass, OR, where all-in costs run around $2,391, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Grants Pass, OR it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Grants Pass, OR – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Grants Pass, OR. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.