Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oklahoma City, OK and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Oklahoma City, OK: $2,320 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Oklahoma City, OK
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Oklahoma City, OK Living Index
147

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

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Oklahoma City, OK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,320

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,320 per month in Oklahoma City, OK vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Oklahoma City, OK $2,320
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,423 per month in Oklahoma City, OK vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Oklahoma City, OK $3,423
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,526 per month in Oklahoma City, OK vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Oklahoma City, OK $4,526
Chicago, IL $5,999

Oklahoma City, OK is about 24% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Oklahoma City, OK and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Oklahoma City, OK by 70%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.11 $20.11

$20.71 $20.71

-2.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$89.2 $89.2

-11.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$13.19 $13.19

12.13%

Cappuccino

$5.21 $5.21

$5.66 $5.66

-7.95%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$2.64 $2.64

0.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.28 $2.28

5.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 $5.90

$6.87 $6.87

-14.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.90 $8.90

$8.84 $8.84

0.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.25 $1.25

-24.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.72 $3.72

-4.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$5.39 $5.39

-32.84%

Eggs

$5.88 $5.88

$4.74 $4.74

24.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.69 $12.69

$13.84 $13.84

-8.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.01 $11.01

$14.40 $14.40

-23.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 $19.13

$18.38 $18.38

4.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$5.22 $5.22

-7.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.98 $1.98

-9.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$4.06 $4.06

12.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$4.97 $4.97

-21.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$2.67 $2.67

44.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.66 $2.66

8.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.24 $2.24

20.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$3.13 $3.13

-18.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.08 $10.08

$13.82 $13.82

-27.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 $13.81

$14.88 $14.88

-7.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.54 $2.54

-24.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.51 $3.51

-8.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.43 $2.43

26.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 $50.1

$73.5 $73.5

-31.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.18 $3.18

-14.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.39 $1.39

-8.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.96 $29.96

$25.03 $25.03

19.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.20 $1.20

-24.17%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$35.0K $35.0K

-20.76%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.80%

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

$193 $193

$194 $194

-0.91%

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

$83.4 $83.4

$69.5 $69.5

20.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.9 $93.9

$61.6 $61.6

52.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.86 $28.86

$47.90 $47.90

-39.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.87 $29.87

$27.34 $27.34

9.25%

Cinema Ticket

$14.77 $14.77

$17.81 $17.81

-17.07%

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

$1,510 $1,510

$1,794 $1,794

-15.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$31.9K $31.9K

-25.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 $53.8

$67.0 $67.0

-19.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.01 $42.01

$52.1 $52.1

-19.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$102 $102

4.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$144 $144

-4.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 $1,263

$2,526 $2,526

-50.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$924 $924

$1,578 $1,578

-41.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,087 $2,087

$4,738 $4,738

-55.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 $1,426

$2,693 $2,693

-47.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,568 $2,568

$4,190 $4,190

-38.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,690 $1,690

$2,768 $2,768

-38.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,869 $3,869

$4,931 $4,931

-21.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.81

-5.29%

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

Last update for Oklahoma City, OK: 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

Oklahoma City, OK

$924 39.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 70.8% $654

Groceries & Markets

Oklahoma City, OK

$409 17.6%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 9.5% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oklahoma City, OK

$370 15.9%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 12% $44

Eating Out

Oklahoma City, OK

$335 14.5%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 2.9% $9.6

Clothing & Footwear

Oklahoma City, OK

$153 6.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 7.4% $11

Getting Around

Oklahoma City, OK

$71 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 30.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Oklahoma City, OK

$58 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 43% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,263 in Oklahoma City, OK 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 27% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Oklahoma City, OK versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $447 – making Oklahoma City, OK the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Oklahoma City, OK

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

01:15 1:15 AM

Same time as Oklahoma City, OK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

579,999

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

Oklahoma City, OK Chicago, IL 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Oklahoma City, OK
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

Oklahoma City, OK vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,320 in Oklahoma City, OK, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Oklahoma City, OK comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,480 per month in Oklahoma City, OK 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 Oklahoma City, OK, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,263 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Oklahoma City, OK and $89 in Chicago, IL. 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 $2,320 in Oklahoma City, OK and $3,037 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 $2,320 in Oklahoma City, OK to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Oklahoma City, 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.