Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grants Pass, OR and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Grants Pass, OR: $2,391 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Grants Pass, OR
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Grants Pass, OR Living Index
147

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

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Grants Pass, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,391

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Grants Pass, OR and in Chicago, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Grants Pass, OR and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,391 per month in Grants Pass, OR vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Grants Pass, OR $2,391
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,235 per month in Grants Pass, OR vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Grants Pass, OR $3,235
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,080 per month in Grants Pass, OR vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Grants Pass, OR $4,080
Chicago, IL $5,999

Grants Pass, OR is about 21% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Grants Pass, OR and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Grants Pass, OR by 76%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.21 $15.21

$20.71 $20.71

-26.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.90 $45.90

$89.2 $89.2

-48.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 $9.24

$13.19 $13.19

-29.95%

Cappuccino

$4.04 $4.04

$5.66 $5.66

-28.62%

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

$2.02 $2.02

$2.64 $2.64

-23.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.28 $2.28

-55.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 $5.07

$6.87 $6.87

-26.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 $3.91

$8.84 $8.84

-55.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.25 $1.25

-7.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.72 $3.72

-19.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$5.39 $5.39

-22.08%

Eggs

$4.08 $4.08

$4.74 $4.74

-13.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 $14.66

$13.84 $13.84

5.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$14.40 $14.40

-62.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 $13.25

$18.38 $18.38

-27.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$5.22 $5.22

-8.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.98 $1.98

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.06 $4.06

-3.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.97 $4.97

-18.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.67 $2.67

-28.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.66 $2.66

-24.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.24 $2.24

-20.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.13 $3.13

-31.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.52 $11.52

$13.82 $13.82

-16.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.91 $6.91

$14.88 $14.88

-53.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.54 $2.54

-34.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.51 $3.51

-13.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.43 $2.43

-59.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.18 $3.18

6.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.39 $1.39

55.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.38 $49.38

$25.03 $25.03

97.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.20 $1.20

-2.50%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-27.48%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$26.7K $26.7K

-6.24%

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

$222 $222

$194 $194

14.31%

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

$61.8 $61.8

$69.5 $69.5

-10.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 $78.6

$61.6 $61.6

27.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$7.93 $7.93

$17.81 $17.81

-55.47%

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

$1,083 $1,083

$1,794 $1,794

-39.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K $16.5K

$31.9K $31.9K

-48.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 $56.0

$67.0 $67.0

-16.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.42 $46.42

$52.1 $52.1

-10.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 $84.3

$102 $102

-16.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 $80.7

$144 $144

-43.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 $1,251

$2,526 $2,526

-50.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 $1,306

$1,578 $1,578

-17.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 $2,021

$4,738 $4,738

-57.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,849 $1,849

$2,693 $2,693

-31.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 $2,915

$4,190 $4,190

-30.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,885 $2,885

$2,768 $2,768

4.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,401 $2,401

$4,931 $4,931

-51.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

6.81

-6.75%

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

Last update for Grants Pass, OR: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Grants Pass, OR

$1.3K 54.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 20.8% $272

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grants Pass, OR

$363 15.2%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 10.2% $37

Groceries & Markets

Grants Pass, OR

$324 13.6%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 38% $123

Eating Out

Grants Pass, OR

$243 10.2%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 41.8% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Grants Pass, OR

$120 5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 36.3% $44

Getting Around

Grants Pass, OR

$18 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 415% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Grants Pass, OR

$16 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 427% $68

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,251 in Grants Pass, OR versus $2,526 in Chicago, 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 $46 in Grants Pass, OR versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $447 – making Grants Pass, OR the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Grants Pass, OR

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

18:43 6:43 PM

20:43 8:43 PM

2 h ahead of Grants Pass, OR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,533

2,746,388

💱 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

Grants Pass, OR Chicago, IL 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Grants Pass, OR
Chicago, IL

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

Grants Pass, OR vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,391 in Grants Pass, OR, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Grants Pass, OR comes out roughly 21% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,586 per month in Grants Pass, OR and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Grants Pass, OR, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,251 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Grants Pass, OR and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Grants Pass, OR, where all-in costs run around $2,391, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Grants Pass, OR it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Grants Pass, OR – 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 Grants Pass, OR. 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.