Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oak Park, IL and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Oak Park, IL: $2,585 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Oak Park, IL
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Oak Park, IL Living Index
152

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

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Oak Park, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,585

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,585 per month in Oak Park, IL vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Oak Park, IL $2,585
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,781 per month in Oak Park, IL vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Oak Park, IL $3,781
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,977 per month in Oak Park, IL vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Oak Park, IL $4,977
Chicago, IL $6,115

Oak Park, IL is about 18% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Oak Park, IL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Oak Park, IL by 91%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.82 $19.82

$20.65 $20.65

-4.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 $75.3

$90.2 $90.2

-16.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 $11.41

$12.94 $12.94

-11.82%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$5.60 $5.60

-2.32%

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

$2.72 $2.72

$2.64 $2.64

3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.27 $2.27

-13.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$6.98 $6.98

-13.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$8.83 $8.83

-18.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.27 $1.27

-19.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.80 $3.80

-6.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$5.30 $5.30

-20.38%

Eggs

$4.12 $4.12

$4.76 $4.76

-13.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.11 $14.11

$13.96 $13.96

1.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.34 $11.34

$14.61 $14.61

-22.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.89 $16.89

$18.77 $18.77

-10.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.19 $5.19

-4.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.98 $1.98

-20.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$3.93 $3.93

12.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$4.96 $4.96

-9.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.76 $2.76

-1.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.76 $2.76

-0.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.22 $2.22

-13.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.98 $2.98

-14.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.26 $9.26

$14.02 $14.02

-33.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.28 $15.28

-2.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.58 $2.58

-13.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.50 $3.50

-1.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.47 $2.47

-30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.34 $3.34

-19.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.43 $1.43

38.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.26 $33.26

$24.32 $24.32

36.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.26 $1.26

-17.46%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$35.0K $35.0K

-25.91%

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

$24.1K $24.1K

$26.1K $26.1K

-7.46%

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

$198 $198

$193 $193

2.55%

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

$59.2 $59.2

$68.3 $68.3

-13.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.7 $70.7

$61.3 $61.3

15.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.92 $37.92

$54.1 $54.1

-29.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$12.41 $12.41

$17.74 $17.74

-30.05%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$1,652 $1,652

-11.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$31.1K $31.1K

-25.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 $53.1

$66.1 $66.1

-19.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.71 $43.71

$51.2 $51.2

-14.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 $87.5

$100 $100

-12.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$141 $141

-12.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 $1,575

$2,446 $2,446

-35.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 $1,312

$1,678 $1,678

-21.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,550 $2,550

$4,717 $4,717

-45.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,168 $2,168

$2,795 $2,795

-22.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,118 $3,118

$4,105 $4,105

-24.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,251 $2,251

$2,650 $2,650

-15.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,703 $5,703

$4,866 $4,866

17.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.81

-3.52%

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

Last update for Oak Park, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oak Park, IL

$1.3K 50.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 27.9% $366

Groceries & Markets

Oak Park, IL

$403 15.6%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 11.6% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oak Park, IL

$328 12.7%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 1.6% $5.3

Eating Out

Oak Park, IL

$322 12.5%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 6.8% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Oak Park, IL

$139 5.4%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 16.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Oak Park, IL

$63 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 42.8% $27

Getting Around

Oak Park, IL

$19 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 390% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,575 in Oak Park, IL versus $2,446 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 17% higher in Oak Park, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Oak Park, IL versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $449 – making Oak Park, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Oak Park, IL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

21:11 9:11 PM

Same time as Oak Park, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,583

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Oak Park, IL Chicago, IL 14 km

From you

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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

Oak Park, IL vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,585 in Oak Park, IL, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,877 per month in Oak Park, IL and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oak Park, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Oak Park, IL and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,585 in Oak Park, IL and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. 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 $2,585 in Oak Park, IL to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Oak Park, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.