Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Ottawa, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Ottawa, IL: $2,495 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Ottawa, IL
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Ottawa, IL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Ottawa, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,495

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Ottawa, IL

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 Ottawa, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,495 in Ottawa, IL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Ottawa, IL $2,495

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,579 in Ottawa, IL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Ottawa, IL $3,579

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,663 in Ottawa, IL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Ottawa, IL $4,663

Chicago, IL costs about 22% more than Ottawa, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Ottawa, IL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Ottawa, IL by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$14.87 $14.87

39.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$59.8 $59.8

49.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.81 $9.81

34.45%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.79 $4.79

18.16%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.17 $2.17

21.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.79 $1.79

27.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.47 $5.47

25.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$5.36 $5.36

64.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.78 $0.78

60.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.11 $3.11

19.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.00 $3.00

79.67%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.85 $3.85

23.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.28 $12.28

12.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$5.99 $5.99

140.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$12.40 $12.40

48.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.53 $3.53

47.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.44 $1.44

37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.22 $3.22

26.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.36 $4.36

13.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.02 $2.02

32.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.26 $2.26

17.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.20 $2.20

1.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.22 $1.22

156.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$12.39 $12.39

11.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.80 $14.80

0.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.16 $2.16

17.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.92 $3.92

-10.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.92 $1.92

26.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$63.2 $63.2

16.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.48 $2.48

28.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.58 $1.58

-12.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$28.24 $28.24

-11.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.12 $1.12

7.14%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

29.31%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$27.1K $27.1K

-1.70%

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

$194 $194

$241 $241

-19.19%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$45.26 $45.26

53.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$68.2 $68.2

-9.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$36.92 $36.92

29.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$26.55 $26.55

2.98%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$11.43 $11.43

55.82%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,012 $1,012

77.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$19.8K $19.8K

61.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$49.00 $49.00

36.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$44.39 $44.39

17.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$118 $118

-13.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$121 $121

18.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,494 $1,494

69.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,276 $1,276

23.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,510 $2,510

88.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,088 $2,088

28.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,189 $3,189

31.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,643 $2,643

4.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$2,383 $2,383

106.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.82

-0.15%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ottawa, IL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Ottawa, IL

$1.3K 51.2% 19.1% $302

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Ottawa, IL

$314 12.6% 29.9% $134

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Ottawa, IL

$260 10.4% 24.7% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Ottawa, IL

$354 14.2% 8.8% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Ottawa, IL

$150 6% 8.7% $14

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Ottawa, IL

$81 3.3% 13% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Ottawa, IL

$60 2.4% 28.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,494 in Ottawa, IL. 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 $60 in Ottawa, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $314 – making Ottawa, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Ottawa, IL

🕒 Local time

18:47 6:47 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

18,342

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Ottawa, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,495 in Ottawa, IL – Ottawa, IL comes out roughly 18% 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 $3,742 in Ottawa, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ottawa, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,494 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $60 in Ottawa, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Ottawa, IL – 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 Ottawa, IL. 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.