Cost of Living
Chicago has a lot to offer in the way of beautiful landscape, cultured atmosphere,
and a lively and interesting populace. Living close to these attractive elements can
come with a cost. The overall cost of living in Chicago is about 40% above the
national average. Luckily, there are many different options available which can
lower your cost of living, like living in the many suburbs that surround Chicago.
For a rough estimate of housing costs, consider that the average rent for a one-bedroom
apartment in downtown Chicago is just under $1,000 a month, with utilities costing an
average of $90 per month. Sharing your apartment can bring you rental cost down to about
$600-650.
To calculate these expenses, there are many cost of living calculators available:
www.homefair.com/real-estate/salary-calculator;
cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costofliving.html;
http://www.bestplaces.net/col/;
or http://www.bankrate.com/brm/movecalc.asp
To get the area you want for a price you can live with a simple formula may
be employed. Divide your monthly income (after tax) income by three. Not much
more then a third of your income should go to rent to insure that you can pay
for the cost of living. If this figure doesn't net you the desired lifestyle
you still have options. Make more money, consider a different neighborhood,
or consider a different living arrangement by taking a roommate.
There are many different apartments and many different ways to search and rent
one. Here are a couple of options:
BROKER: If you are arranging a rental from out-of-town, or have more
money then time, using a real estate broker can be a pain-free way of getting
the job done. A broker is responsible for finding apartments that fit your criteria
and making appointments to fit your schedule. This convenience has a price,
usually one can expect to pay about a half month's rent as a fee, but this varies
and it is recommended to shop around before selecting a broker. Some recommended
brokers are: the
Habitat Company or www.homes-condos.com/.
If you are employed with a company they may have a broker they work with and
you may be able to use them by contacting your human resources department to
use the broker your company uses. Pay attention to reviews by former customers
to make sure you get your money's worth. There are also several professionals
that offer their services free of charge with the sellers paying their services.
For example: www.theaptconnection.com
or www.chicagoapartmentlocator.com.
ON-LINE LISTING: There are a variety of on-line forums and community
listings in which people will list their places or larger companies offer their
apartments. Some examples are : http://chicago.craigslist.org/apa/;
http://halanger.com/; https://my.apartmentsearch.com/
CHICAGO TRIBUNE or THE DAILY HERALD: Both newspapers have an excellent classified
section with a variety of listings. You may also check them out on-line: Tribune classifieds
or the Herald.
CHICAGO READER: Local publication with articles on art, music, and culture in the city.
Classified's appear on-line and in hard copy. Reader's For Rent.
COLLEGE NEWSPAPER: Large campus newspapers frequently have well-priced
listings and are usually free on campus. Some examples:
www.loyolaphoenix.com/classifieds/,
www.dailynorthwestern.com/classifieds/,
or www.chicagoflame.com/ad2ad/index.html.
BULLETIN BOARDS: On college campuses, churches, grocery stores, schools,
bus stops and outside community centers there are often boards available for
posting local ads. This gives you an idea of the neighborhood as well as some
useful leads on apartments.
DRIVING AROUND: Many places are listed by simply placing a sign in front
of the apartment. Sometimes only a number is listed so it can be helpful to
write notes about the place and call the number on your cell phone.
Flatsharing
An important trait in any roommate situation is having boundaries and a clear
understanding of what each roommate requires. To protect yourself against potential
problems should the worst happen, try to arrange it so that your roommates co-sign
the lease. This makes all the roommates responsible for whatever happens to
the property. If the worst was to happen, such as your roommate losing their
job and not being able to pay rent, they will be held financially responsible-
not you.
FLATSHARING : A NEW WAY OF LIFE
Instead of living in a pokey attic room with huge rent, why not try
shared accommodation? Frequently associated with students, sharing is
spreading nowadays towards older established workers and covers people
from 18 to 49 years old. Without falling into a community style of life
such as in the 70's, you can choose to share an accommodation for a
bigger space, less expense.
Flatsharing is a way to meet more and more followers who choose to
break a lonely life, save money or just find an affordable acommodation
in a difficult market. This way of life has numerous advantages in term
of money, practicality or social life. EASYEXPAT
in partnership with EASYROOMMATE
number one for flatsharing, offers this service to its users to present
all the chances to find the ideal flatmate or to join an existing household.
If you've got a room to rent, you can put a free ad for house/flatsharing.
If you look for a room or a flatshare, it's free to search into
the database with thousands of offers.
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Here are some others websites to find a roommate:
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