Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Tulsa, OK

For one person, living is cheaper in Tulsa, OK: $2,227 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
107

Cost of Living Index in Tulsa, OK
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Tulsa, OK Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Tulsa, OK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,227

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,227 in Tulsa, OK, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Tulsa, OK $2,227

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,282 in Tulsa, OK, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Tulsa, OK $3,282

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,337 in Tulsa, OK, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Tulsa, OK $4,337

Chicago, IL costs about 36% more than Tulsa, OK, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Tulsa, OK sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Tulsa, OK by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$15.73 $15.73

31.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$73.6 $73.6

21.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.04 $10.04

31.37%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.06 $5.06

11.86%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.27 $2.27

16.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.73 $1.73

31.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.08 $5.08

35.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.03 $7.03

25.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.09 $1.09

14.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.58 $3.58

3.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.55 $5.55

-2.88%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.04 $4.04

17.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$15.23 $15.23

-9.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$12.21 $12.21

17.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$15.24 $15.24

20.60%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.43 $4.43

17.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.68 $1.68

17.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.72 $3.72

9.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.53 $3.53

40.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.59 $2.59

3.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.89 $2.89

-7.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.92 $1.92

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.22 $2.22

40.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$10.10 $10.10

36.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.35 $13.35

11.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.00 $2.00

27.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.81 $4.81

-27.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.79 $1.79

35.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$44.22 $44.22

66.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.96 $1.96

62.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.25 $1.25

11.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$29.62 $29.62

-15.50%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

31.74%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.13%

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

$194 $194

$247 $247

-21.44%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$69.1 $69.1

0.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$64.0 $64.0

-3.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$43.26 $43.26

10.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$20.35 $20.35

34.35%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$13.74 $13.74

29.62%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,194 $1,194

50.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$25.3K $25.3K

26.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$73.6 $73.6

-8.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$61.1 $61.1

-14.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$121 $121

-15.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$148 $148

-2.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,280 $1,280

97.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$866 $866

82.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,500 $2,500

89.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,380 $1,380

95.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$1,786 $1,786

134.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,652 $1,652

67.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,494 $3,494

41.11%

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 Tulsa, OK: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Tulsa, OK

$866 38.9% 45.1% $712

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Tulsa, OK

$397 17.8% 11.4% $51

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Tulsa, OK

$272 12.2% 21.1% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Tulsa, OK

$380 17.1% 16.9% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Tulsa, OK

$182 8.2% 10.7% $18

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Tulsa, OK

$60 2.7% 36.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Tulsa, OK

$71 3.2% 15.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,280 in Tulsa, 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 41% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $74 in Tulsa, OK. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $397 – making Tulsa, OK the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Tulsa, OK

🕒 Local time

22:04 10:04 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

413,066

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Tulsa, OK 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Tulsa, 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 Tulsa, OK: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,227 in Tulsa, OK – Tulsa, OK comes out roughly 27% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,341 in Tulsa, OK. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tulsa, OK, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,280 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $74 in Tulsa, 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 $2,227 in Tulsa, 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 $2,227 in Tulsa, OK to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Tulsa, 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.