Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Lake Oswego, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in Lake Oswego, OR: $2,528 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
121

Cost of Living Index in Lake Oswego, OR
Learn more

Lake Oswego, OR Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Lake Oswego, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,528

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,528 in Lake Oswego, OR, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Lake Oswego, OR $2,528

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,743 in Lake Oswego, OR, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Lake Oswego, OR $3,743

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,957 in Lake Oswego, OR, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Lake Oswego, OR $4,957

Chicago, IL costs about 20% more than Lake Oswego, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Lake Oswego, OR sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Lake Oswego, OR by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$22.05 $22.05

-6.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$90.5 $90.5

-1.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.93 $10.93

20.68%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.11 $6.11

-7.36%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.08 $3.08

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.99 $1.99

14.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.40 $6.40

7.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$5.87 $5.87

50.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.03 $1.03

21.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.83 $3.83

-2.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.18 $5.18

4.05%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.33 $4.33

9.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.19 $11.19

23.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$10.52 $10.52

36.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.22 $17.22

6.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.69 $3.69

41.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.49 $1.49

32.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.82 $2.82

43.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.60 $2.60

91.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.10 $2.10

27.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.87 $1.87

42.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.91 $1.91

17.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.71 $1.71

83.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.37 $11.37

21.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$11.03 $11.03

34.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.70 $1.70

49.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.63 $3.63

-3.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.02 $2.02

20.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$65.0 $65.0

13.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.56 $4.56

-30.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.76 $0.76

82.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$24.04 $24.04

4.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.30 $1.30

-7.69%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$25.4K $25.4K

38.03%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$24.1K $24.1K

10.58%

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

$194 $194

$150 $150

29.74%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$46.67 $46.67

48.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$62.5 $62.5

-1.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$41.47 $41.47

15.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.96 $14.96

19.05%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,368 $1,368

31.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$12.1K $12.1K

163.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$40.20 $40.20

66.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$29.92 $29.92

74.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$85.9 $85.9

18.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$84.5 $84.5

70.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,598 $1,598

58.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,309 $1,309

20.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,521 $2,521

87.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,137 $2,137

26.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,715 $2,715

54.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,383 $2,383

16.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.67

2.10%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lake Oswego, OR: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Lake Oswego, OR

$1.3K 51.8% 17% $269

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Lake Oswego, OR

$352 13.9% 21.3% $95

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Lake Oswego, OR

$346 13.7% 0.4% $1.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Lake Oswego, OR

$259 10.2% 20.4% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Lake Oswego, OR

$108 4.3% 34% $56

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Lake Oswego, OR

$81 3.2% 12.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Lake Oswego, OR

$71 2.8% 14.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,598 in Lake Oswego, OR. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $91 in Lake Oswego, OR. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $352 in Lake Oswego, OR – so Lake Oswego, OR wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Lake Oswego, OR

🕒 Local time

21:55 9:55 PM

19:55 7:55 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

40,731

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Lake Oswego, OR 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,528 in Lake Oswego, OR – Lake Oswego, OR comes out roughly 17% 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 $3,792 in Lake Oswego, OR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lake Oswego, OR, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,598 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Public transport costs about 12% less in Lake Oswego, OR. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,528 in Lake Oswego, OR. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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