Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oxford, MS and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Oxford, MS: $2,363 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Oxford, MS
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Oxford, MS Living Index
153

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

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Oxford, MS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,363

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,363 per month in Oxford, MS vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Oxford, MS $2,363
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,967 per month in Oxford, MS vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Oxford, MS $3,967
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $5,570 per month in Oxford, MS vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Oxford, MS $5,570
Chicago, IL $6,077

Oxford, MS is about 26% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Oxford, MS and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Oxford, MS by 75%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.78 $16.78

$21.58 $21.58

-22.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.1 $61.1

$88.7 $88.7

-31.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 $10.95

$13.20 $13.20

-17.05%

Cappuccino

$4.91 $4.91

$5.59 $5.59

-12.16%

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

$1.55 $1.55

$2.63 $2.63

-41.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.26 $2.26

-16.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.56 $4.56

$7.11 $7.11

-35.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 $7.10

$9.23 $9.23

-23.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.28 $1.28

-32.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.84 $3.84

-20.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$5.07 $5.07

-47.34%

Eggs

$4.07 $4.07

$4.84 $4.84

-15.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 $9.52

$14.17 $14.17

-32.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 $9.65

$14.61 $14.61

-33.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$18.76 $18.76

-25.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$5.19 $5.19

-26.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$2.00 $2.00

-31.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$4.00 $4.00

-13.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$4.98 $4.98

-40.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.79 $2.79

-6.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.65 $2.65

-15.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.13 $2.13

-14.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$3.09 $3.09

-38.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.52 $7.52

$16.05 $16.05

-53.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 $11.80

$15.20 $15.20

-22.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.62 $2.62

-36.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.46 $3.46

-5.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.41 $4.41

$3.21 $3.21

37.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.39 $1.39

35.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.93 $32.93

$25.02 $25.02

31.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 $0.74

$1.24 $1.24

-40.32%

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

$34.3K $34.3K

$37.2K $37.2K

-7.67%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$25.8K $25.8K

-1.25%

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

$139 $139

$192 $192

-27.59%

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

$49.28 $49.28

$67.8 $67.8

-27.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 $68.1

$60.9 $60.9

11.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.35 $25.35

$53.6 $53.6

-52.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$11.80 $11.80

$17.80 $17.80

-33.71%

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

$1,540 $1,540

$1,554 $1,554

-0.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,530 $8,530

$31.4K $31.4K

-72.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 $62.4

$67.9 $67.9

-8.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 $53.0

$50.8 $50.8

4.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 $85.7

$101 $101

-15.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 $167

$143 $143

16.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 $1,293

$2,383 $2,383

-45.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 $1,279

$1,712 $1,712

-25.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,116 $3,116

$4,674 $4,674

-33.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,167 $3,167

$2,738 $2,738

15.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,335 $3,335

$4,158 $4,158

-19.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,991 $2,991

$2,691 $2,691

11.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,839 $4,839

$4,894 $4,894

-1.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

6.77

-1.77%

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

Last update for Oxford, MS: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oxford, MS

$1.3K 54.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 33.8% $432

Groceries & Markets

Oxford, MS

$321 13.6%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 40.4% $130

Eating Out

Oxford, MS

$277 11.7%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 27.5% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oxford, MS

$257 10.9%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 25.1% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Oxford, MS

$166 7%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 1.4% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Oxford, MS

$49 2.1%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 82.2% $40

Getting Around

Oxford, MS

$14 * 0.6%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 589% $81

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,293 in Oxford, MS versus $2,383 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 1% 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 $61.0 in Oxford, MS versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $321 vs $451 – making Oxford, MS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Oxford, MS

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

00:26 12:26 AM

Same time as Oxford, MS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,639

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Oxford, MS Chicago, IL 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Oxford, MS
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

Oxford, MS vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,363 in Oxford, MS, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 35% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,544 per month in Oxford, MS and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oxford, MS, 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 $61.0 in Oxford, MS and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% 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.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Oxford, MS, where all-in costs run around $2,363, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In Oxford, MS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,363 in Oxford, MS to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Oxford, MS. 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.