Living in Chicago, United States
Chicago is a large inland city in Illinois, the United States (1 to 5 million people in the city proper). It has a cool climate, averaging 11°C over the year with about 991 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €4,338 a month to live centrally, and the United States sits in our low to medium tax tier. For foreigners, long-term residency in the United States is possible, with conditions.
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- Est. cost
- €4,338
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Low to medium
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 11°C
- 991 mm rain a year
- Size
- Large
- 1 to 5 million people
- Safety
- 52/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~220 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Possible, with conditions
- for most foreigners
What stands out about Chicago
- Pricier than 99% of the cities we compare
- Colder than 90% of the cities we track
- English is widely spoken
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €4,338 a month to live centrally in Chicago, 59% above the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 2% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Language and culture
Main languages: English. English proficiency: native or near-native. Social openness scores 78 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Climate
Chicago averages 11°C across the year with about 991 mm of rain, which makes it cool and moderately wet. It is warmer than 10% of the 1225 cities we track.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Safety and stability
The United States scores 52 out of 100 on safety, safer than 20% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 7.9 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in the United States. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Residency and visas
Possible, with conditions. Realistic long-term US residency runs through employer-sponsored or extraordinary-ability green cards or the EB-5 investor route; there is no passive-income, sufficient-means, or retirement visa for self-funded applicants.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for the United States:
- Investment: about $800k (US EB-5 immigrant investor green card, USD 800,000 minimum in a Targeted Employment Area (vs USD 1,050,000 standard); figures already in USD; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 4 of 198 passports can enter visa-free, 42 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival and 152 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Healthcare
The United States scores 70 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 71% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in the United States.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in the United States runs at about 220 Mbps, faster than 70% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Taxes
The United States sits in our low to medium tax tier: moderate personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at zero or very low will not see Chicago in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Questions couples ask about Chicago
Is Chicago a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Chicago scores well on healthcare, English, political stability and social openness. It is weaker on affordability and safety. Expect a cool, moderately wet climate (11°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Chicago and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Chicago?
We estimate about €4,338 a month for a couple living centrally, 59% above the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Chicago?
The United States is in our low to medium tax tier (moderate personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make zero or very low tax a must-have will not see Chicago in their results.
Can foreigners live in the United States long term?
Our assessment: possible, with conditions. Realistic long-term US residency runs through employer-sponsored or extraordinary-ability green cards or the EB-5 investor route; there is no passive-income, sufficient-means, or retirement visa for self-funded applicants. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: investment, about $800k (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Chicago?
Chicago averages 11°C across the year with about 991 mm of rain, which makes it cool and moderately wet. It is warmer than 10% of the cities we track.
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