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Chicago's Cost of Living Exceeds National Average by 14-18%

Housing costs contribute most to the difference with median rents and home prices listed.

By The Daily Chicago · Published July 24, 2026

How we reported this

This article was written by AI from the linked sources and was not reviewed by a journalist before publishing. The Daily Chicago is part of The Daily Network and follows our reasonable editorial care.

Chicago's cost of living is 14 to 18% higher than the national average with housing being 43 to 45% more expensive than the US average according to item [7].

The Consumer Price Index for Chicago-Naperville-Elgin rose 3.7% over the year ending May 2026 driven by a 24.8% increase in energy costs and a 2.4% rise in food prices according to item [7].

A single person's estimated monthly cost in Chicago is $1200 to $1350 excluding rent or $2310 to $2410 including rent while a family of four needs $4600 to $4900 excluding rent or $5610 to $8080 including rent according to item [7].

Sources: perplexity-sonar.

References Sourced but Not Limited to:

extraspace.com · Chicago il

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