Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lake Oswego, OR and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Lake Oswego, OR: $2,528 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Lake Oswego, OR
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Lake Oswego, OR Living Index
147

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

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Lake Oswego, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,528

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,528 per month in Lake Oswego, OR vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lake Oswego, OR $2,528
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,743 per month in Lake Oswego, OR vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lake Oswego, OR $3,743
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,957 per month in Lake Oswego, OR vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lake Oswego, OR $4,957
Chicago, IL $5,999

Lake Oswego, OR is about 17% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lake Oswego, OR and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Lake Oswego, OR by 86%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.05 $22.05

$20.71 $20.71

6.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.5 $90.5

$89.2 $89.2

1.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.93 $10.93

$13.19 $13.19

-17.13%

Cappuccino

$6.11 $6.11

$5.66 $5.66

7.95%

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

$3.08 $3.08

$2.64 $2.64

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.28 $2.28

-12.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.40 $6.40

$6.87 $6.87

-6.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 $5.87

$8.84 $8.84

-33.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.25 $1.25

-17.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 $3.83

$3.72 $3.72

2.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$5.39 $5.39

-3.90%

Eggs

$4.33 $4.33

$4.74 $4.74

-8.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 $11.19

$13.84 $13.84

-19.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 $10.52

$14.40 $14.40

-26.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$18.38 $18.38

-6.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$5.22 $5.22

-29.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.98 $1.98

-24.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$4.06 $4.06

-30.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$4.97 $4.97

-47.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.67 $2.67

-21.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.66 $2.66

-29.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.24 $2.24

-14.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$3.13 $3.13

-45.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.37 $11.37

$13.82 $13.82

-17.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 $11.03

$14.88 $14.88

-25.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.54 $2.54

-33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$3.51 $3.51

3.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.43 $2.43

-16.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.0 $65.0

$73.5 $73.5

-11.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.18 $3.18

43.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.39 $1.39

-45.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.04 $24.04

$25.03 $25.03

-3.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.20 $1.20

8.33%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-27.55%

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

$24.1K $24.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

-9.57%

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

$150 $150

$194 $194

-22.92%

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

$46.67 $46.67

$69.5 $69.5

-32.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.5 $62.5

$61.6 $61.6

1.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.47 $41.47

$47.90 $47.90

-13.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$14.96 $14.96

$17.81 $17.81

-16.00%

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

$1,368 $1,368

$1,794 $1,794

-23.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K $12.1K

$31.9K $31.9K

-62.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.20 $40.20

$67.0 $67.0

-40.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.92 $29.92

$52.1 $52.1

-42.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 $85.9

$102 $102

-15.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 $84.5

$144 $144

-41.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 $1,598

$2,526 $2,526

-36.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,309 $1,309

$1,578 $1,578

-17.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,521 $2,521

$4,738 $4,738

-46.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 $2,137

$2,693 $2,693

-20.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,715 $2,715

$4,190 $4,190

-35.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,383 $2,383

$2,768 $2,768

-13.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.81

-2.06%

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

Last update for Lake Oswego, OR: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lake Oswego, OR

$1.3K 51.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 20.5% $269

Groceries & Markets

Lake Oswego, OR

$352 13.9%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 27% $95

Eating Out

Lake Oswego, OR

$346 13.7%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 0.4% $1.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lake Oswego, OR

$259 10.2%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 25.7% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Lake Oswego, OR

$108 4.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 51.5% $56

Getting Around

Lake Oswego, OR

$81 3.2%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 14.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Lake Oswego, OR

$71 2.8%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 17% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,598 in Lake Oswego, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Lake Oswego, OR versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Lake Oswego, OR vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Lake Oswego, OR wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lake Oswego, OR

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

19:42 7:42 PM

21:42 9:42 PM

2 h ahead of Lake Oswego, OR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,731

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lake Oswego, OR Chicago, IL 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Lake Oswego, 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

Lake Oswego, OR vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,528 in Lake Oswego, OR, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Lake Oswego, OR comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,792 per month in Lake Oswego, 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 Lake Oswego, OR, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,598 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Public transport costs about 12% less in Lake Oswego, OR. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,528 in Lake Oswego, OR and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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