Moving to Chicago while staying within the confines of a fixed budget does not have to be an impossible feat.  However, in order to go about doing so, you’ll have to put in some time researching just how much it really costs to live in the city.  You should have a good idea of the apartment market so that you can easily recognize when a landlord is trying to charge way too much for a certain apartment.  You’ll want to familiarize yourself with as many Chicago apartments as possible.  Although this might take some time, it will be well worth it in the end when you’ve located the ideal place to call home.

To begin your search, just try to start spending as much time in the city as possible so that you can get a feel for what all the various neighborhoods are like.  This is something that you’ll want to do anyway just so that you don’t have to waste time getting lost once you’ve relocated to the city.  If you are unable to make it out to Chicago before you actually move, then you could think about doing an extensive amount of research online.

You also need to think about where you are going to spend the most of your time while living in Chicago when you are looking at all the different Chicago apartments on the market.  For example, if you know you’re going to school in the city, it would be best if you could find an apartment that is within close proximity to that location.  That way, you won’t have to bother with a long commute, and you’ll have more time to concentrate on your homework.

Or, if you know that you are going to be working downtown, make sure that you find an apartment that is going to provide you with a relatively easy commute to this area.  Although you might not be able to afford to live right downtown when you initially move, this doesn’t have to be a problem.  You can just move to one of the smaller neighborhoods either to the west or the north of the city, and then use public transportation when you need to get to work.

Not all neighborhoods in Chicago have apartments at a similar price point.  For instance, Chicago apartments in the Gold Coast are notorious for being expensive because it’s an affluent neighborhood in general.  You might want to consider one of the working class neighborhoods such as Logan Square as an option.  Lots of young artists enjoy living in this neighborhood because they’re able to afford it, and it also has a lot of unique bars and restaurants that make for a vibrant nightlife scene.