Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ponca City, OK: $2,526 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

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

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

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Ponca City, OK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,526 in Ponca City, OK, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Ponca City, OK $2,526

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,671 in Ponca City, OK, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Ponca City, OK $3,671

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,816 in Ponca City, OK, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Ponca City, OK $4,816

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

Both Chicago, IL and Ponca City, OK sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Ponca City, OK by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$16.70 $16.70

22.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$55.9 $55.9

58.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$9.52 $9.52

34.98%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.72 $5.72

1.05%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.24 $2.24

22.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.69 $1.69

33.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$6.09 $6.09

12.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$7.15 $7.15

29.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.89 $0.89

41.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.85 $3.85

-7.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$5.79 $5.79

-7.08%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$5.37 $5.37

-15.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$7.98 $7.98

71.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$8.67 $8.67

62.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$13.40 $13.40

34.78%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.41 $4.41

17.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.53 $1.53

29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$2.69 $2.69

44.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.72 $4.72

2.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.88 $1.88

49.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.58 $2.58

3.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.51 $1.51

37.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.02 $2.02

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$9.39 $9.39

48.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$19.31 $19.31

-22.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.54 $2.54

3.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$4.54 $4.54

-24.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.94 $1.94

25.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$62.7 $62.7

20.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$5.08 $5.08

-37.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.63 $1.63

4.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$34.09 $34.09

-26.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.86 $0.86

48.84%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.0K $27.0K

32.55%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.87%

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

$192 $192

$177 $177

8.70%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$55.2 $55.2

26.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$60.3 $60.3

3.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$42.95 $42.95

11.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$9.82 $9.82

81.57%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,372 $1,372

32.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$10.2K $10.2K

298.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$60.8 $60.8

8.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$50.9 $50.9

0.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$114 $114

-9.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$130 $130

9.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$521 $521

385.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,269 $1,269

27.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$845 $845

471.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,129 $2,129

28.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$2,408 $2,408

72.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,477 $2,477

9.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$2,418 $2,418

103.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.6

2.73%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Ponca City, OK: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Ponca City, OK

$1.3K 50.3% 21.7% $352

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Ponca City, OK

$367 14.5% 16.5% $73

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Ponca City, OK

$291 11.5% 15.3% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Ponca City, OK

$292 11.6% 9.8% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Ponca City, OK

$160 6.3% 2.2% $3.6

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Ponca City, OK

$84 3.3% 13.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Ponca City, OK

$63 2.5% 25% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $521 in Ponca 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 in Chicago, IL are about 2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $56 in Ponca City, OK. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $367 – making Ponca City, OK the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Ponca City, OK

🕒 Local time

21:17 9:17 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

25,387

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Ponca City, OK 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Ponca City, OK

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 Ponca City, OK: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,526 in Ponca City, OK – Ponca City, OK comes out roughly 18% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,789 in Ponca City, OK. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ponca City, OK, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $521 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $56 in Ponca City, OK. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Ponca City, OK, where all-in costs run around $2,526, than in Chicago, IL at $3,072. In Ponca City, OK it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ponca City, OK – 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 Ponca 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.