Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Medford, OR: $2,476 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Medford, OR
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Medford, OR Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Medford, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,476

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,476 in Medford, OR, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Medford, OR $2,476

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,565 in Medford, OR, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Medford, OR $3,565

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,653 in Medford, OR, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Medford, OR $4,653

Chicago, IL costs about 23% more than Medford, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Chicago, IL and Medford, OR sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Medford, OR by 82%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.96 $19.96

3.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$62.8 $62.8

42.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.41 $10.41

26.71%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.73 $4.73

19.66%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.44 $2.44

8.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.50 $1.50

52.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.92 $5.92

16.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.29 $6.29

40.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.17 $1.17

6.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.18 $3.18

16.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$8.27 $8.27

-34.82%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.19 $4.19

13.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$21.31 $21.31

-35.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$10.17 $10.17

41.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$15.30 $15.30

20.13%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.13 $4.13

26.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.58 $1.58

25.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.30 $5.30

-23.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.11 $5.11

-2.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.85 $2.85

-6.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.90 $2.90

-8.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.65 $2.65

-15.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.18 $3.18

-1.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.08 $11.08

24.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.38 $13.38

11.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.75 $1.75

45.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.40 $3.40

3.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.98 $1.98

22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$47.17 $47.17

55.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.86 $2.86

11.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.43 $2.43

-42.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$44.52 $44.52

-43.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.22 $1.22

-1.64%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.4K $28.4K

23.46%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$23.8K $23.8K

12.28%

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

$194 $194

$203 $203

-3.99%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$70.2 $70.2

-1.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$77.6 $77.6

-20.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$17.33 $17.33

176.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$11.60 $11.60

53.53%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,022 $1,022

75.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$8,159 $8,159

291.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$57.9 $57.9

15.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$38.84 $38.84

34.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$107 $107

-5.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$113 $113

27.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,258 $1,258

100.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,131 $1,131

39.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,944 $1,944

143.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,768 $1,768

52.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,305 $3,305

26.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,784 $2,784

-0.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,592 $3,592

37.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.54

4.13%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medford, OR: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Medford, OR

$1.1K 45.7% 28.3% $447

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Medford, OR

$436 17.6% 2.5% $11

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Medford, OR

$306 12.3% 11.4% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Medford, OR

$350 14.2% 7.6% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Medford, OR

$143 5.8% 13% $21

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Medford, OR

$70 2.8% 24.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Medford, OR

$41 1.6% 51.5% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,258 in Medford, OR. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 37% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $63 in Medford, OR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $436 – making Medford, OR the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Medford, OR

🕒 Local time

20:04 8:04 PM

18:04 6:04 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

56,173

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Medford, OR 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,476 in Medford, OR – Medford, OR comes out roughly 18% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,715 in Medford, OR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medford, OR, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,258 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $63 in Medford, OR. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 36% less in Medford, OR. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,476 in Medford, OR. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Medford, 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 Medford, 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.