The cost of living in Illinois is significantly lower than that national average. Making $37,772 annually ($18.16/hour) should be more than enough for a comfortable lifestyle—depending, of course, on exactly where in Illinois you live.

Illinois, sometimes called The Land of Lincoln or The Prarie State, is the best of both worlds—midwestern affordability combined with the vibrant culture only found near big cities like Chicago. But how much does it actually cost to live there? For the answer, you’ll need to consider the average costs of things like housing, healthcare, transportation, groceries, and more.

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How high is the cost of living in Illinois?

The midwest is known for being an affordable place to live—and Illinois is no exception. With a cost of living index (COLI) of 93.4, it’s more affordable than the average U.S state.

A cost of living index is a measurement of the average amount that a person spends to live in a given area—relative to the national average. Since Illinois has a COLI of 93.4, that means its cost of living is 93.4% of the average—and therefore 6.6% cheaper than what’s typical.

The COLI is a good indicator of Illinois's cost of living relative to other states, but it doesn’t give you any actual dollar numbers to work with. For that, we’ll break down the prairie state’s typical expenses by the most important budget categories—food, healthcare, transportation, and housing.

Food: $270 to $1,100 per month

Everybody has to eat—it’s one of the most important expenses that we have. In Illinois, a single adult will spend about $270-$300 every month on food—this is on groceries, not restaurants or delivery (those are much more expensive).

If you have a family, that monthly cost skyrockets. If you have a spouse and two children, for instance, you’ll have to pay around $1,100 for groceries each month.

If that sounds like a lot, keep in mind that groceries in other states are typically around 6% more expensive. But of course, that’s just the Ilinois statewide average. Some places, like Chicago, tend to have steeper food prices.

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Healthcare: $575 per month

Healthcare costs in Illinois are more or less standard. Residents pay an average of about $575 per month for the care they need—which is about 2.8% below the national average.

Of course, that doesn't mean that every Illinois resident is actually paying $6,900+ annually for healthcare. Medical expenses are one of the most unevenly distributed costs in the United States—some individuals don’t have any medical expenses at all, while others pay a huge percentage of their monthly income for healthcare.

MORE: Can I use health insurance to cover car accident injuries?

Housing: $850 to $1,700 per month

Housing costs typically comprise between 20% and 50% of the monthly cost of living for Illinois residents. Depending on who you ask, the median home price in Illinois is either $194,000 (

World Population Review

) or $253,433 (

Zillow

)—or anywhere in between. Either way, it’s dramatically lower than the nationwide median price of $348,079.

Of course, if you live somewhere like Chicago, you’ll have higher home prices (about $300,000 on average). On the other hand, some areas have housing cost well below the statewide average. In Canton, for instance, the typical home costs just $83,000.

For the average homeowner, mortgages will be broken up into monthly payments of between $1,700 and $1,300, depending on the term length. This is noticeably higher than the median mortgage payment nationwide, which is only about $1,200. So, while you’ll pay less overall for a home in Illinois, your monthly payments will probably be a bit higher.

But what about those Illinois residents who rent rather than own their living space? He’s a quick breakdown of the median rental costs in the Prarie State:

Median studio rent: approximately $850/month

Median one-bedroom rent: approximately $900/month

Median two-bedroom rent: approximately $1,000/month

Median three-bedroom rent: approximately $1,200/month

Median four-bedroom rent: approximately $1,350/month

Illinois housing costs may be relatively affordable, but don’t go celebrating just yet. In addition to rent/mortgage payments, you’ll need to spend around $125 a year on renters insurance or $1,300-$1,400 a year on homeowners insurance. On top of that, you’ll also have to pay another $300-$400 in utilities (electricity, gas, internet, water, trash removal, etc). The good news is that utilities are also pretty cheap in the Land of Lincoln—7.2% lower than the U.S average, to be precise.

MORE:

Everything you need to know about Section 8 Housing in Chicago

Transportation: $430 to $1,200 per month

Transportation is one of the few areas where Illinois is more expensive than most other states. Getting around in the Prarie State typically costs 38% more than average. Annually, a single adult can expect to pay roughly $5,100.

Meanwhile, a family of four will need almost $14,500 each year to cover transportation costs. For your monthly budget, that means transportation is a regular expense of $430 to $1,200—depending on the number of people in your household.

That might seem like a pretty steep price just to get around—and it is higher than the average. But that price tag makes more sense when you consider all the different expenses that contribute to your transportation costs. Here are a few of the big ticket travel-related costs in Illinois:

Average annual cost of car insurance in Illinois: $1,130

30-day pass for the

Chicago Transit Authority

(busses and trains): $75

Average commute time in Illinois: 29 minutes

Average cost of a gallon of gas: $4.28

MORE: The best road trips in Illinois

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How much you need to live comfortably in Illinois: $37,772 to $97,243 per year

Just to meet the basic requirements listed above, a single individual would need at least $29,100 to survive in Illinois. But surviving isn’t quite the same thing as living, and certainly not the same as living well.

According to the

Living Wage Calculator

published by MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning, $37,772 is what’s considered a living wage for an individual—and a family of four would need $79,913.

The data provided by the

Bureau of Economic Analysis

, on the other hand, estimates the required cost to be even higher—stating that an individual needs $45,322 annually to live comfortably.

Plus, don’t forget that there are plenty of “non-essential” expenses that go into affording a comfortable lifestyle. Below, we’ve listed the average prices for some of these additional expenses:

Average cost of a date: $160.00 (US average: $116)

Average cost of a night at the movies: $17.89 (US average: $10.61)

Average cost of a Big Mac: $4.55 (US average: $3.99)

Average sales tax: 8.81%(US average: 5.09%)

Small expenses like these have a way of adding up and making a big impact on your budget. Still, if you’re making $18-$19 per hour at a full-time job, then you should be just fine. If you’re making the Illinois minimum wage of $12/hour, however, you may have trouble covering your expenses.

The Illinois cities with the lowest cost of living

As has been mentioned, the cost of living in Illinois is going to vary pretty widely depending on what area you live in. Places like Chicago and Bloomington are going to be the most expensive—but what about the least expensive? Let’s take a look at some of the cities in Illinois with the lowest COLI.

Decatur (COLI: 86): Located right where the Sangamon River meets Lake Decatur, this scenic waterfront location offers big city amenities, such as prestigious zoos and museums, for those that are trying to avoid Chicago’s high COL.

Champaign-Urbana (COLI: 87.5): Champaign is a fun and affordable college town with plenty of things to do and places to see.

Danville (COLI: 88.2): If big cities aren’t your thing, Danville offers a nice small-town atmosphere and some charming historic architecture.

If you’re looking for affordable living in the Land of Lincoln, one of the three cities listed above should be a good fit!

MORE: The best places to live in Illinois

How to easily find home and car insurance in Illinois

Finding just the right Illinois town, neighborhood, and apartment/house to call home can be pretty challenging. Fortunately, the same doesn’t have to be true when you’re looking for great rates on

home

and

auto insurance

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