A must-read for anyone starting student life in Chicago in 2025! Essential apps for international students living in Chicago! This guide highlights the top apps for Chicago student life—covering transportation, navigation, Asian groceries, fitness, budgeting, and mobile plans. Perfect for saving money, making daily life easier, and building a smoother U.S. study-abroad experience.
Key words: apps for Chicago students, saving money, essential U.S. apps
- 📖 Table of Contents
- 🚇 1. Must-Have Apps for Chicago Students: Transportation
- 🍔 2. Essential Apps for Living in Chicago: Shopping, Delivery, Mobile, and Internet
- 🛡️ 3. Essential Apps for Chicago Life: Safety
- 💬 4. Must-Have Apps for Chicago Life: Events & Entertainment
🚇 1. Must-Have Apps for Chicago Students: Transportation
Ventra App
- Function: Check real-time CTA train and bus schedules. Compared to Google Maps, the timing is often much more accurate.
- Why I Recommend It:
- It supports Ventra (CTA card) and Apple Pay, which makes commuting super convenient. You can also purchase a 1-day pass that stays valid for 24 hours—only $5! (Basically pays off after just two trips.)
- Tip: Chicago’s CTA trains run on different lines—Red, Blue, Green, Purple, and Brown. If you’re new here, always double-check station names in the app. You can also cross-check routes with Google Maps to find the best option.
Uber / Lyft
Uber probably needs no introduction—but here’s something many new students don’t know:
Lyft not only offers ride-hailing, but also lets you rent bikes!
In Chicago, Lyft rides are usually cheaper than Uber, and they often provide student-friendly pricing.
For biking, you can purchase an annual student bike membership, which gives you unlimited or discounted bike rides.
But keep in mind: Chicago winters are brutal from November to March, so it really depends on how often you think you’ll ride. Do the math before committing!
- Function: Ride-hailing.
- Why I Recommend It: Chicago winters get so cold that walking is painful. Lyft frequently offers student discounts, and rides are usually cheaper than Uber in many areas.
- Referral Link: Get 1 ride at 50% off → https://www.lyft.com/ride-with-lyft?invite=HUANG05235
🍔 2. Essential Apps for Living in Chicago: Shopping, Delivery, Mobile, and Internet
InKind
- Function: A prepaid dining and restaurant credit platform.
- Why I Recommend It: This app has become super popular among Chicago locals. You can pre-load funds and receive bonus dining credits—for example, add $100 and get an extra $20. Their partner restaurants, such as Aba, Beatrix, and Ema, are all very trendy and often hard to book.
- Pro Tip: Before group dinners, buy an InKind dining credit first—you can usually save 15–20% on average. Costco sometimes sells discounted InKind gift cards too (I once scored them at 40% off!).
- Referral Link: Claim $25 credit → https://app.inkind.com/refer/JELOONKY
Too Good To Go 🥐
- Function: A surplus food-saving platform.
- Why I Recommend It: Every day, bakeries and restaurants list their unsold items at extremely low prices. It’s common to get $15 worth of food for just $5—perfect for budget-friendly meals.
- Pro Tip: Most Chicago options are concentrated in the Loop and West Loop areas. Check after 3 PM to grab the best deals. My favorite pick-up is Tous Les Jours bakery!
- Referral Link: Try it here → http://fbuy.me/uZ_bs
Mint Mobile
Mint Mobile is truly a lifesaver for mobile data plans!!
I get excellent reception throughout Chicago, and the best part is that Mint automatically switches between different carrier networks, so I rarely worry about losing signal.
If you don’t want to pay the expensive rates from major carriers—or deal with splitting a family plan with roommates and calculating payments every month—Mint is seriously the BEST option I recommend!
- Function: Prepaid mobile phone and data service.
- Why I Recommend It: Perfect for international students! Mint Mobile offers affordable prepaid plans with no contracts, starting as low as $15/month. It supports eSIM activation, so you can set everything up online the moment you arrive in the U.S.
- Pro Tip: Start with the 3-month trial plan to test coverage. Reception is generally stable throughout Chicago.
- Referral Link: Get $15 off → http://fbuy.me/uZ_bs
Google Maps / Yelp
- Function: Navigation and restaurant review platform.
- Why I Recommend It: Chicago has tons of restaurants spread across different neighborhoods. Yelp is great for discovering popular brunch spots and cafés recommended by locals.
- It’s also super convenient for finding hair salons—many list clear pricing on their pages.
- Download Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yelp-food-services-reviews/id284910350
Amazon Fresh
- Function: Grocery and fresh produce delivery.
- Why I Recommend It: Absolute lifesavers during cold Chicago winters—especially when you don’t feel like going out. Amazon Fresh often has Prime Student discounts, while Instacart lets you order from multiple stores at once (Costco, Jewel-Osco, Mariano’s, etc.).
- As for me (Taylor 👀), I’m a heavy Amazon Fresh user! Many items are cheaper than Whole Foods. Even though there’s a Whole Foods in West Loop, I still prefer ordering through Fresh because the produce, bread, salad kits, and fruit are usually more affordable.
- You can shop directly in the main Amazon app, and you’ll see a dedicated Fresh cart.
- Pro Tip: New users often get promo codes—don’t forget to apply them at checkout. You can also check Facebook groups for referral links; recommended items may come with special discounts!
Weee
- Function: Asian groceries, snacks, beverages, and hotpot ingredients delivery.
- Why I Recommend It: A must-have if you crave food from home! Wee carries a huge selection of Taiwanese, Korean, and Japanese snacks and hotpot ingredients. Delivery to Chicago usually takes 1–2 days, and they often offer free shipping. Plus—it’s cheaper than H-Mart for many items!
- Pro Tip: New users typically get discount codes. You can also check Facebook groups for referral links—you’ll often get bonus credits for popular items.
- Referral Link: Get $20 off → https://www.sayweee.com/zh/account/referral/landing?t=1&referral_id=13769596&lang=zh-Hant
Yami
- Function: An Asian goods e-commerce platform.
- Why I Recommend It: If you want instant ramen, boba milk tea powder, sauces, or skincare products, Yami has a really complete selection. The prices are often cheaper than Amazon, the variety is much wider, and they offer Chinese customer support.
- Pro Tip: Yami carries far more daily necessities and beauty products than Wee!
- Download Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yami-shop-all-of-asias-best/id981366229
🛡️ 3. Essential Apps for Chicago Life: Safety
Citizen
(Given how unpredictable everything has been lately—both in terms of safety and city alerts… this one’s important.)
- Function: Real-time safety and incident notifications.
- Why I Recommend It: You can instantly see what’s happening nearby, which helps you stay aware and make safer decisions.
- Download Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/citizen-protect-the-world/id1039889567
💬 4. Must-Have Apps for Chicago Life: Events & Entertainment
Classpass
- Function: A booking platform for fitness, yoga, pilates, spa, and even nail services.
- Why I Recommend It: If you want to stay healthy while exploring different gyms and studios around Chicago, ClassPass lets you try everything using a points system—no annual commitment needed.
- Pro Tip: New users get a 1-week free trial. Popular Chicago neighborhoods like River North, West Loop, and Lakeview have tons of partner studios.
- Download Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/classpass-fitness-spa-salon/id912947244
Eventbrite
- Function: Find free events and activities.
- Why I Recommend It: It’s perfect for joining social events outside of school and meeting people from different backgrounds. I often use it to sign up for free workout classes or casual community gatherings!
- Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/
Christmaskindle Market
(Not exactly an app—BUT everyone waits for this every year!)
- Function: Enjoying Chicago’s Christmas season.
- Why I Recommend It: It’s the city’s most iconic holiday market—food, treats, mulled wine, ornaments, photos—you name it. A must-go every winter!
- Website: https://www.christkindlmarket.com/
Riverside Event
- Function: Spring and summer riverfront events!
- Why I Recommend It: The Chicago Riverwalk hosts tons of activities during spring, summer, and even into fall—kayaking, outdoor concerts, pop-up events, cultural festivals, and sometimes special Halloween events. Lots to explore when the weather is nice!