Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Medford, OR: $2,476 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Medford, OR
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Medford, OR Living Index
147

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

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Medford, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,476

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,476 per month in Medford, OR vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Medford, OR $2,476
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,565 per month in Medford, OR vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Medford, OR $3,565
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,653 per month in Medford, OR vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Medford, OR $4,653
Chicago, IL $5,999

Medford, OR is about 18% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Medford, OR and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Medford, OR by 82%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 $19.96

$20.71 $20.71

-3.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 $62.8

$89.2 $89.2

-29.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 $10.41

$13.19 $13.19

-21.08%

Cappuccino

$4.73 $4.73

$5.66 $5.66

-16.43%

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

$2.44 $2.44

$2.64 $2.64

-7.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.28 $2.28

-34.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 $5.92

$6.87 $6.87

-13.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 $6.29

$8.84 $8.84

-28.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.25 $1.25

-6.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.72 $3.72

-14.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.27 $8.27

$5.39 $5.39

53.43%

Eggs

$4.19 $4.19

$4.74 $4.74

-11.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.31 $21.31

$13.84 $13.84

53.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.17 $10.17

$14.40 $14.40

-29.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 $15.30

$18.38 $18.38

-16.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$5.22 $5.22

-20.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.98 $1.98

-20.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.06 $4.06

30.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.97 $4.97

2.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.67 $2.67

6.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.66 $2.66

9.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.24 $2.24

18.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.13 $3.13

1.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.08 $11.08

$13.82 $13.82

-19.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 $13.38

$14.88 $14.88

-10.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.54 $2.54

-31.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.51 $3.51

-3.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.43 $2.43

-18.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.17 $47.17

$73.5 $73.5

-35.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 $2.86

$3.18 $3.18

-10.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.39 $1.39

74.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.52 $44.52

$25.03 $25.03

77.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.20 $1.20

1.67%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.00%

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

$23.8K $23.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

-10.93%

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

$203 $203

$194 $194

4.16%

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

$70.2 $70.2

$69.5 $69.5

1.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.6 $77.6

$61.6 $61.6

25.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.33 $17.33

$47.90 $47.90

-63.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 $11.60

$17.81 $17.81

-34.87%

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

$1,022 $1,022

$1,794 $1,794

-43.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,159 $8,159

$31.9K $31.9K

-74.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 $57.9

$67.0 $67.0

-13.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.84 $38.84

$52.1 $52.1

-25.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$102 $102

5.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$144 $144

-21.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 $1,258

$2,526 $2,526

-50.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 $1,131

$1,578 $1,578

-28.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 $1,944

$4,738 $4,738

-58.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,768 $1,768

$2,693 $2,693

-34.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,305 $3,305

$4,190 $4,190

-21.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,784 $2,784

$2,768 $2,768

0.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,592 $3,592

$4,931 $4,931

-27.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

6.81

-3.96%

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

Last update for Medford, OR: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medford, OR

$1.1K 45.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 39.5% $447

Groceries & Markets

Medford, OR

$436 17.6%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 2.5% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medford, OR

$350 14.2%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 7.1% $25

Eating Out

Medford, OR

$306 12.3%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 12.9% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Medford, OR

$143 5.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 15% $21

Getting Around

Medford, OR

$70 2.8%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 33.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Medford, OR

$41 1.6%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 106% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,258 in Medford, 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 run about 37% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Medford, OR versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $436 vs $447 – making Medford, OR the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Medford, OR

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

16:03 4:03 PM

18:03 6:03 PM

2 h ahead of Medford, OR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,173

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Medford, OR Chicago, IL 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Medford, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,476 in Medford, OR, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Medford, OR comes out roughly 18% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,715 per month in Medford, 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 Medford, OR, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,258 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Medford, OR and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 36% less in Medford, OR. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,476 in Medford, 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 Medford, 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 Medford, 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.