Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Oxford, MS

For one person, living is cheaper in Oxford, MS: $2,371 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
114

Cost of Living Index in Oxford, MS
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Oxford, MS Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Oxford, MS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,371

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Oxford, MS

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 Oxford, MS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,371 in Oxford, MS, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Oxford, MS $2,371

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,947 in Oxford, MS, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Oxford, MS $3,947

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,523 in Oxford, MS, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Oxford, MS $5,523

Chicago, IL costs about 28% more than Oxford, MS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Oxford, MS sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Oxford, MS by 74%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$16.95 $16.95

22.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$59.7 $59.7

49.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.20 $11.20

17.77%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.13 $5.13

10.33%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.50 $1.50

76.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.89 $1.89

20.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.47 $4.47

53.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.02 $7.02

25.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.86 $0.86

45.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.18 $3.18

16.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.59 $2.59

108.11%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.02 $4.02

17.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$9.37 $9.37

47.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$11.37 $11.37

26.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$15.38 $15.38

19.51%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.94 $3.94

32.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.41 $1.41

40.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.33 $3.33

21.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.11 $3.11

59.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.51 $2.51

6.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.26 $2.26

17.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.81 $1.81

23.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.91 $1.91

63.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$7.39 $7.39

87.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.12 $12.12

22.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.71 $1.71

48.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.20 $3.20

9.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.37 $4.37

-27.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.85 $1.85

-24.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$32.48 $32.48

-22.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.74 $0.74

62.16%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$30.3K $30.3K

15.62%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.7K $25.7K

3.62%

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

$194 $194

$139 $139

39.87%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$49.93 $49.93

39.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$67.9 $67.9

-9.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$24.84 $24.84

92.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$11.82 $11.82

50.68%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,552 $1,552

15.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$8,269 $8,269

286.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$61.7 $61.7

8.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$53.5 $53.5

-2.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$88.0 $88.0

15.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$169 $169

-15.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,308 $1,308

93.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,267 $1,267

24.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,163 $3,163

49.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$3,078 $3,078

-12.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,287 $3,287

27.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,920 $2,920

-5.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,833 $4,833

2.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.65

2.41%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Oxford, MS: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Oxford, MS

$1.3K 53.5% 19.7% $311

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Oxford, MS

$336 14.2% 24.8% $111

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Oxford, MS

$281 11.8% 18.6% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Oxford, MS

$257 10.8% 21.1% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Oxford, MS

$168 7.1% 2.2% $3.6

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Oxford, MS

$14 * 0.6% 85.4% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Oxford, MS

$48 2% 42% $35

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 $1,308 in Oxford, MS. 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 $60 in Oxford, MS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $336 – making Oxford, MS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Oxford, MS

🕒 Local time

21:28 9:28 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

23,639

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Oxford, MS 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Oxford, MS

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 Oxford, MS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,371 in Oxford, MS – Oxford, MS comes out roughly 22% 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 $3,556 in Oxford, MS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oxford, MS, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,308 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

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

Groceries cost about 33% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,371 in Oxford, MS. 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 $2,371 in Oxford, MS to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.