Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aberdeen, WA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Aberdeen, WA: $2,163 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Aberdeen, WA
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Aberdeen, WA Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index

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Aberdeen, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,163

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aberdeen, WA and in Chicago, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aberdeen, WA and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,163 in Aberdeen, WA versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL.

Aberdeen, WA $2,163
Chicago, IL $3,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,192 in Aberdeen, WA versus $4,627 in Chicago, IL.

Aberdeen, WA $3,192
Chicago, IL $4,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,221 in Aberdeen, WA versus $6,115 in Chicago, IL.

Aberdeen, WA $4,221
Chicago, IL $6,115

Living in Aberdeen, WA costs roughly 31% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Aberdeen, WA 60% above, Chicago, IL 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.98 $24.98

$20.65 $20.65

20.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.0 $99.0

$90.2 $90.2

9.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 $11.98

$12.94 $12.94

-7.42%

Cappuccino

$5.07 $5.07

$5.60 $5.60

-9.46%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.64 $2.64

15.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.27 $2.27

15.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$6.98 $6.98

-13.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 $6.91

$8.83 $8.83

-21.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.27 $1.27

-4.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.80 $3.80

-15.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$5.30 $5.30

-32.08%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.76 $4.76

2.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 $8.39

$13.96 $13.96

-39.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.32 $8.32

$14.61 $14.61

-43.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$18.77 $18.77

-22.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$5.19 $5.19

14.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.98 $1.98

-6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.93 $3.93

32.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$4.96 $4.96

-8.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.76 $2.76

6.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.76 $2.76

10.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.22 $2.22

29.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.98 $2.98

-18.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.39 $10.39

$14.02 $14.02

-25.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.23 $13.23

$15.28 $15.28

-13.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.58 $2.58

-31.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.50 $3.50

-28.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 $0.52

$2.47 $2.47

-78.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.34 $3.34

-20.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.43 $1.43

20.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.97 $29.97

$24.32 $24.32

23.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.26 $1.26

-4.76%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.1K $33.1K

$35.0K $35.0K

-5.41%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.60%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$305 $305

$193 $193

58.23%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$70.3 $70.3

$68.3 $68.3

3.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.7 $85.7

$61.3 $61.3

39.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.24 $31.24

$54.1 $54.1

-42.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 $5.14

$17.74 $17.74

-71.03%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,050 $1,050

$1,652 $1,652

-36.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.8K $30.8K

$31.1K $31.1K

-0.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.57 $45.57

$66.1 $66.1

-31.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.92 $28.92

$51.2 $51.2

-43.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.8 $55.8

$100 $100

-44.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.6 $65.6

$141 $141

-53.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$922 $922

$2,446 $2,446

-62.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$827 $827

$1,678 $1,678

-50.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 $1,280

$4,717 $4,717

-72.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 $1,297

$2,795 $2,795

-53.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,935 $2,935

$4,105 $4,105

-28.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,993 $2,993

$2,650 $2,650

12.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,410 $4,410

$4,866 $4,866

-9.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.81

-2.20%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Aberdeen, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Aberdeen, WA

$827 38.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 103% $851

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aberdeen, WA

$461 21.3%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 30.1% $139

Groceries & Markets

Aberdeen, WA

$369 17.1%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 21.7% $80

Eating Out

Aberdeen, WA

$363 16.8%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 5.5% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Aberdeen, WA

$88 4.1%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 82.9% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Aberdeen, WA

$42 1.9%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 116% $48

Getting Around

Aberdeen, WA

$13 * 0.6%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 614% $82

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $922 in Aberdeen, WA and $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $99.0 in Aberdeen, WA vs $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $369 vs $449, with Aberdeen, WA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Aberdeen, WA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

08:45 8:45 AM

10:45 10:45 AM

2 h ahead of Aberdeen, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,071

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Aberdeen, WA Chicago, IL 2,900 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Aberdeen, WA
Chicago, IL

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Aberdeen, WA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aberdeen, WA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Chicago, IL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $922 in Aberdeen, WA versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,050 in Aberdeen, WA versus $1,652 in Chicago, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Aberdeen, WA – a meal for two runs $99.0 versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,163 in Aberdeen, WA versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Aberdeen, WA but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Aberdeen, WA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Aberdeen, WA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chicago, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Aberdeen, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.