Updated: September 3, 2026
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Cheapest Car Insurance by Coverage and Driver Profile in Chicago:
GEICO offers the cheapest minimum coverage in Chicago at $43 a month. Auto-Owners is the second-cheapest at $45, just $2 more per month ($24 per year).
GEICO also has the cheapest full coverage in Chicago at $98 a month, with Auto-Owners again second at $102. Full coverage buyers should weigh GEICO's affordability against Auto-Owners' top-tier customer service ranking; for just $48 more per year, Auto-Owners has more coverage options and a better record of handling claims smoothly.
Your ZIP code moves your rate more than almost any other factor in Chicago, where full coverage rates span $125–182 a month depending on address. So get quotes from at least three insurance companies before you buy.
| Geico | $43 | $98 | -38% |
| Auto Owners | $45 | $102 | -35% |
| Erie Insurance | $50 | $149 | -12% |
| Travelers | $60 | $108 | -27% |
| AAA | $77 | $133 | -8% |
Not in Chicago? Read more about the cheapest car insurance or the best provider in Illinois.
Auto-Owners offers the cheapest full coverage car insurance for teens and young drivers ages 16-25 in Chicago at $230 a month, or $2,762 a year. Travelers is the second-cheapest at $259, a $29 monthly difference that adds up to $348 a year. If your teen is currently on a Travelers policy, switching to Auto-Owners to save that extra $348 a year is worth the hassle of changing insurers.
Auto-Owners also carries Chicago's highest customer service score, which matters more for teen drivers, who file accident claims more often than any other age group.
Re-quote once your teen turns 21. Insurers price down sharply once a driver ages out of the under-21 bracket.
| Auto Owners | $230 | $2,762 |
| Travelers | $259 | $3,109 |
| Country Financial | $273 | $3,273 |
| Geico | $280 | $3,360 |
| Erie Insurance | $298 | $3,572 |
GEICO offers the cheapest car insurance for seniors in Chicago, at $109 a month for full coverage, or $1,306 a year. Auto-Owners is second-cheapest at $143 — $34 more per month than GEICO, or $408 a year.
Of all driver groups, seniors are the least likely to shop around, and that decision is especially costly in Chicago. The difference between the cheapest and most expensive carrier for seniors in the Windy City is $63 a month, or $756 a year.
Illinois requires insurance companies to discount policies for drivers 55 and older who complete an approved defensive driving course, though the law leaves the size of the discount to the insurer, typically 5–10%. A 10% discount applied to GEICO's $109 monthly senior rate brings it down to about $98, saving roughly $131 a year, and the discount holds for three years before you need to retake the course.
| Geico | $109 | $1,306 |
| Auto Owners | $143 | $1,714 |
| Travelers | $144 | $1,722 |
| AAA | $165 | $1,981 |
| Country Financial | $172 | $2,058 |
Travelers charges $82 a month for minimum coverage after a DUI, the cheapest in Chicago and nearly half as expensive as the average premium after a DUI. Illinois requires drivers convicted of a DUI to file an SR-22, which Travelers can file directly; the requirement stays active for three years from reinstatement, so re-shop once that window closes.
For an at-fault accident, Auto-Owners is cheapest at $60 a month for minimum coverage. Auto-Owners is also cheapest after speeding ticket, charging $51 per month.
| At-Fault Accident | Auto Owners | $60 |
| DUI | Travelers | $82 |
| Speeding Ticket | Auto Owners | $51 |
A DUI raises rates more than any other driving violation in Chicago. GEICO's minimum coverage average rate jumps from $43 a month with a clean record to $91 after a DUI, a 112% increase.
Auto-Owners is unusually forgiving of a speeding ticket: its minimum coverage rises from $45 to just $51, a 13% increase. For an at-fault accident, Auto-Owners' rate rises 33% (from $45 to $60), and GEICO's rises 51% (from $43 to $65).
Shopping after a violation matters more than shopping with a clean record. The cost difference between insurance companies widens once a violation is on your record, since some price the same infraction far more aggressively than others.
Chicago drivers pay $146 a month for full coverage and $73 a month for minimum coverage, compared to Illinois's statewide average of $99 for full coverage and $50 for minimum coverage. That's $47 more per month for full coverage and $23 more for minimum, purely for living inside city limits.
Young drivers pay the most of any group in Chicago. Even at the city's five cheapest insurance companies for teens, rates average $268 a month, well above the citywide full coverage average.
| Full Coverage | $251 | $99 |
| Minimum Coverage | $131 | $49 |
Chicago's full coverage rates run from $125 a month in ZIP code 60631 to $182 a month in ZIP code 60628. That 46% difference is less than the huge swings in other major cities — which means your ZIP code matters in Chicago, but it doesn't outweigh your choice of insurer.
The most expensive ZIP codes cluster on Chicago's South and West Sides (60628, 60639, 60624), where theft and accident rates run higher. The cheapest cluster on the North Side and city's edges (60631, 60657, 60614), where both factors are lower.
Since the $57 ZIP code difference is close to what switching from Erie Insurance to GEICO can save you on full coverage, don't assume a pricier neighborhood means you're stuck. Compare insurance companies before assuming your address decided your rate.
| 60601 | $130 | $65 |
| 60602 | $131 | $65 |
| 60603 | $133 | $67 |
| 60604 | $133 | $67 |
| 60605 | $132 | $66 |
| 60606 | $131 | $65 |
| 60607 | $139 | $69 |
| 60608 | $146 | $73 |
| 60609 | $154 | $77 |
| 60610 | $131 | $65 |
| 60611 | $130 | $65 |
| 60612 | $160 | $80 |
| 60613 | $150 | $80 |
| 60614 | $127 | $63 |
| 60615 | $148 | $74 |
| 60616 | $167 | $85 |
| 60617 | $153 | $76 |
| 60618 | $134 | $67 |
| 60619 | $160 | $80 |
| 60620 | $161 | $81 |
| 60621 | $167 | $83 |
| 60622 | $139 | $69 |
| 60623 | $169 | $85 |
| 60624 | $172 | $86 |
| 60625 | $137 | $68 |
| 60626 | $138 | $69 |
| 60628 | $182 | $88 |
| 60629 | $149 | $74 |
| 60630 | $138 | $69 |
| 60631 | $125 | $62 |
| 60632 | $168 | $85 |
| 60633 | $149 | $75 |
| 60634 | $137 | $68 |
| 60636 | $164 | $82 |
| 60637 | $159 | $80 |
| 60638 | $140 | $70 |
| 60639 | $176 | $89 |
| 60640 | $137 | $68 |
| 60641 | $145 | $73 |
| 60642 | $138 | $69 |
| 60643 | $151 | $76 |
| 60644 | $170 | $85 |
| 60645 | $141 | $70 |
| 60646 | $134 | $67 |
| 60647 | $138 | $69 |
| 60649 | $162 | $81 |
| 60651 | $167 | $83 |
| 60652 | $147 | $73 |
| 60653 | $155 | $78 |
| 60654 | $130 | $65 |
| 60655 | $138 | $69 |
| 60656 | $150 | $83 |
| 60657 | $127 | $63 |
| 60659 | $140 | $70 |
| 60660 | $137 | $68 |
| 60661 | $130 | $65 |
| 60699 | $132 | $66 |
| 60701 | $128 | $64 |
Switching insurance companies is the single biggest way to lower your car insurance bill in Chicago: the difference between GEICO's $98 full coverage rate and Erie Insurance's $149 is $51 a month. Your ZIP code and driving record close much of what's left. Here's how to stack savings, largest first.
GEICO's full coverage rate of $98/month beats Erie Insurance's $149 by $51, and beats Auto-Owners' $102 by $4. Get quotes from at least three companies before renewing, since Chicago's cheapest insurer shifts by driver profile.
Full coverage costs $55 more per month than minimum coverage at GEICO ($98 versus $43). If your car isn't financed or leased and its value doesn't justify comprehensive and collision, dropping to minimum coverage saves $660 a year. Lenders require full coverage on financed or leased vehicles.
Drivers 55 and older who complete an approved defensive driving course in Illinois get state-mandated policy discounts, typically 5–10%. A 10% discount on GEICO's $109 senior rate saves about $11 a month, or $131 a year, and holds for three years before you need to retake the course.
A DUI raises GEICO's minimum coverage rate from $43 to $91 a month in Chicago. Illinois keeps a DUI's SR-22 requirement active for three years from reinstatement, so start re-quoting 30 days before that window closes so your rate drops as soon as you're eligible.
Bundling typically saves 15–25%, which on GEICO's $98 Chicago full-coverage rate works out to roughly $15–$25 a month. The discount isn't automatic even if you already hold both policies with the same insurer, so confirm it's applied before you renew.
Yes, Chicago drivers pay $146 a month for full coverage, $47 more than Illinois's statewide average of $99. Minimum coverage runs $73 a month in Chicago, $23 above the state average of $50.
GEICO is the cheapest car insurance company in Chicago, charging $43 a month for minimum coverage and $98 a month for full coverage. Auto-Owners is a close second at $45 and $102.
Chicago full coverage rates run from $125 a month in ZIP code 60631 to $182 a month in ZIP code 60628, a $57 monthly difference driven mainly by theft and accident rates.
A DUI raises GEICO's minimum coverage rate in Chicago from $43 to $91 a month, a 112% increase. Travelers offers the cheapest post-DUI minimum coverage in the city at $82 a month.
We partnered with the Illinois Department of Insurance and Quadrant Information Services to analyze hundreds of thousands of quotes from 12 insurance companies across every Chicago ZIP code.
Baseline driver profile: a 40-year-old with a clean driving record, good credit and a 2012 Toyota Camry. Full coverage uses 100/300/100 liability limits with a $1,000 deductible for comprehensive and collision. Minimum coverage uses Illinois's required 25/50/20 liability limits plus the state's mandatory uninsured motorist coverage.
Mark Fitzpatrick is a licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer in Connecticut and MoneyGeek's resident expert in insurance and economics. In nearly a decade covering the insurance market at LendingTree and MoneyGeek, he's analyzed hundreds of carriers and millions of rates across auto, home, renters, health and life insurance.
His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times and NPR. He draws on independent cost and consumer experience data, and no insurance company partnerships affect his recommendations.
Mark studied at Boston College and later earned a master's in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University. He worked in financial risk management at State Street before joining MoneyGeek. He's also a five-time “Jeopardy!” champion.
