Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Prineville, OR: $2,570 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Prineville, OR
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Prineville, OR Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Prineville, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,570

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,570 in Prineville, OR, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Prineville, OR $2,570

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,719 in Prineville, OR, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Prineville, OR $3,719

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,868 in Prineville, OR, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Prineville, OR $4,868

Chicago, IL costs about 18% more than Prineville, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Prineville, OR sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Prineville, OR by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.19 $20.19

2.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$52.0 $52.0

71.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.98 $11.98

10.10%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.50 $4.50

25.78%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.52 $2.52

4.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.05 $2.05

11.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.11 $5.11

34.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$5.01 $5.01

76.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.12 $1.12

11.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.71 $3.71

0.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.24 $4.24

27.12%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.84 $4.84

-2.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$14.70 $14.70

-5.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$13.54 $13.54

6.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.37 $18.37

0.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.71 $4.71

10.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.29 $1.29

53.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.83 $3.83

6.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.26 $3.26

52.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.99 $2.99

-10.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.33 $3.33

-20.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.83 $1.83

22.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.96 $1.96

59.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.45 $11.45

20.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.02 $12.02

23.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.61 $1.61

57.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.91 $2.91

20.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.08 $2.08

16.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$66.5 $66.5

10.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.57 $3.57

-10.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.11 $2.11

-34.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$50.8 $50.8

-50.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.25 $1.25

-4.00%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$25.8K $25.8K

35.88%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$24.1K $24.1K

10.67%

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

$194 $194

$176 $176

10.65%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$60.7 $60.7

14.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$74.5 $74.5

-17.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$39.57 $39.57

21.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.83 $14.83

20.09%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,086 $1,086

65.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$16.3K $16.3K

96.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$57.0 $57.0

17.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$47.03 $47.03

10.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$85.8 $85.8

18.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$81.2 $81.2

77.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,582 $1,582

59.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,275 $1,275

23.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,573 $2,573

84.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,099 $2,099

28.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,836 $2,836

47.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,011 $2,011

37.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.59

3.34%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Prineville, OR: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Prineville, OR

$1.3K 49.6% 19.2% $303

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Prineville, OR

$399 15.5% 10.8% $49

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Prineville, OR

$305 11.9% 11.5% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Prineville, OR

$311 12.1% 4.5% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Prineville, OR

$122 4.7% 25.6% $42

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Prineville, OR

$89 3.5% 4.8% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Prineville, OR

$69 2.7% 17.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,582 in Prineville, OR. 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 $52 in Prineville, OR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $399 – making Prineville, OR the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Prineville, OR

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

16:07 4:07 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

10,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Prineville, OR 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,570 in Prineville, OR – Prineville, OR comes out roughly 15% 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 $3,855 in Prineville, OR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Prineville, OR, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,582 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $52 in Prineville, OR. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,570 in Prineville, OR. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Prineville, OR – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Prineville, OR is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 15% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.