Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Oklahoma City, OK

For one person, living is cheaper in Oklahoma City, OK: $2,320 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 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
112

Cost of Living Index in Oklahoma City, OK
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Oklahoma City, OK Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Oklahoma City, OK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,320

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Oklahoma City, OK

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 Oklahoma City, OK actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,320 in Oklahoma City, OK, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Oklahoma City, OK $2,320

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,423 in Oklahoma City, OK, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Oklahoma City, OK $3,423

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,526 in Oklahoma City, OK, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Oklahoma City, OK $4,526

Chicago, IL costs about 31% more than Oklahoma City, OK, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Oklahoma City, OK sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Oklahoma City, OK by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.11 $20.11

2.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$78.8 $78.8

13.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$14.79 $14.79

-10.82%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.21 $5.21

8.64%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.66 $2.66

-0.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.41 $2.41

-5.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.90 $5.90

16.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.90 $8.90

-0.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.94 $0.94

32.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.56 $3.56

4.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.62 $3.62

48.90%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.88 $5.88

-19.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.69 $12.69

9.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$11.01 $11.01

30.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.13 $19.13

-3.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.82 $4.82

8.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.79 $1.79

10.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.56 $4.56

-10.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.91 $3.91

27.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.87 $3.87

-31.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.89 $2.89

-7.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.69 $2.69

-16.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.56 $2.56

22.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$10.08 $10.08

37.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.81 $13.81

7.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.92 $1.92

32.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.22 $3.22

9.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.07 $3.07

-20.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$50.1 $50.1

46.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.72 $2.72

16.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.27 $1.27

9.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$29.96 $29.96

-16.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.91 $0.91

31.87%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.8K $27.8K

26.19%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.5K $26.5K

0.80%

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

$194 $194

$193 $193

0.92%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$83.4 $83.4

-16.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$93.9 $93.9

-34.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$28.86 $28.86

65.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$29.87 $29.87

-8.47%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.77 $14.77

20.58%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,510 $1,510

18.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$23.8K $23.8K

34.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$53.8 $53.8

24.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$42.01 $42.01

24.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$106 $106

-4.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$137 $137

4.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,263 $1,263

100.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$924 $924

70.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,087 $2,087

127.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,426 $1,426

88.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,568 $2,568

63.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,690 $1,690

63.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,869 $3,869

27.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.45

5.58%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Oklahoma City, OK: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Oklahoma City, OK

$924 39.8% 41.5% $654

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Oklahoma City, OK

$409 17.6% 8.7% $39

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Oklahoma City, OK

$335 14.5% 2.8% $9.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Oklahoma City, OK

$370 15.9% 13.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Oklahoma City, OK

$153 6.6% 6.9% $11

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Oklahoma City, OK

$71 3.1% 23.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Oklahoma City, OK

$58 2.5% 30.1% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,263 in Oklahoma City, OK. 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 27% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $79 in Oklahoma City, OK. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $409 – making Oklahoma City, OK the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Oklahoma City, OK

🕒 Local time

01:04 1:04 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

579,999

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL Oklahoma City, OK 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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Chicago, IL
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chicago, IL vs Oklahoma City, OK: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,320 in Oklahoma City, OK – Oklahoma City, OK comes out roughly 24% 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 $3,480 in Oklahoma City, OK. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oklahoma City, OK, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,263 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $79 in Oklahoma City, OK. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,320 in Oklahoma City, OK. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,320 in Oklahoma City, OK to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Oklahoma City, OK. 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.