Cost of Living: Oak Forest, IL vs Chicago, IL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,227/mo in Oak Forest, IL versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 18.75% of gross in Oak Forest, IL versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Oak Forest, IL tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Oak Forest, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Oak Forest, IL
18.75%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Chicago, IL
20.28%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Oak Forest, IL and Chicago, IL.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Chicago, IL
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Oak Forest, IL
  • Lower home prices: Chicago, IL
  • Higher median household income: Oak Forest, IL

Cost of Living Index

Oak Forest, IL: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than Oak Forest, IL, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Oak Forest, IL: $1,223/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Chicago, IL is $100/mo higher than in Oak Forest, IL.

Median Home Price

Oak Forest, IL: $247,800 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in Oak Forest, IL is $100,000 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

Oak Forest, IL: $87,941 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Oak Forest, IL has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $31,126.

Oak Forest, IL overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons