Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Airway Heights, WA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Airway Heights, WA: $2,531 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Airway Heights, WA
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Airway Heights, WA Living Index
152

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

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Airway Heights, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,531

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Airway Heights, 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 Airway Heights, WA and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,531 in Airway Heights, WA versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL.

Airway Heights, WA $2,531
Chicago, IL $3,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,742 in Airway Heights, WA versus $4,627 in Chicago, IL.

Airway Heights, WA $3,742
Chicago, IL $4,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,953 in Airway Heights, WA versus $6,115 in Chicago, IL.

Airway Heights, WA $4,953
Chicago, IL $6,115

Living in Airway Heights, WA costs roughly 19% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Airway Heights, WA 87% above, Chicago, IL 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.26 $17.26

$20.65 $20.65

-16.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.2 $76.2

$90.2 $90.2

-15.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.78 $9.78

$12.94 $12.94

-24.42%

Cappuccino

$4.26 $4.26

$5.60 $5.60

-23.93%

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

$2.34 $2.34

$2.64 $2.64

-11.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.27 $2.27

-1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 $5.84

$6.98 $6.98

-16.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 $6.07

$8.83 $8.83

-31.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.27 $1.27

-25.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 $3.30

$3.80 $3.80

-13.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$5.30 $5.30

-8.68%

Eggs

$4.42 $4.42

$4.76 $4.76

-7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.81 $15.81

$13.96 $13.96

13.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.02 $10.02

$14.61 $14.61

-31.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.69 $16.69

$18.77 $18.77

-11.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$5.19 $5.19

-3.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.98 $1.98

-25.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$3.93 $3.93

36.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$4.96 $4.96

-18.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.76 $2.76

-15.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.76 $2.76

2.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.22 $2.22

-12.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.98 $2.98

-37.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.30 $10.30

$14.02 $14.02

-26.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 $13.93

$15.28 $15.28

-8.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.58 $2.58

-30.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.50 $3.50

24.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.47 $2.47

-19.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.8 $58.8

$74.8 $74.8

-21.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.34 $3.34

53.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.43 $1.43

18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.84 $39.84

$24.32 $24.32

63.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.26 $1.26

7.94%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$35.0K $35.0K

-20.64%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$26.1K $26.1K

-6.16%

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

$136 $136

$193 $193

-29.31%

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

$51.7 $51.7

$68.3 $68.3

-24.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.1 $70.1

$61.3 $61.3

14.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.39 $40.39

$54.1 $54.1

-25.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 $13.48

$17.74 $17.74

-24.01%

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

$1,374 $1,374

$1,652 $1,652

-16.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K $14.2K

$31.1K $31.1K

-54.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$66.1 $66.1

-20.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.46 $43.46

$51.2 $51.2

-15.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$100 $100

4.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$141 $141

3.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 $1,589

$2,446 $2,446

-35.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 $1,300

$1,678 $1,678

-22.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,462 $2,462

$4,717 $4,717

-47.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 $2,156

$2,795 $2,795

-22.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,888 $2,888

$4,105 $4,105

-29.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,183 $2,183

$2,650 $2,650

-17.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,269 $4,269

$4,866 $4,866

-12.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

6.81

0.44%

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

Last update for Airway Heights, WA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Airway Heights, WA

$1.3K 51.4%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 29% $378

Groceries & Markets

Airway Heights, WA

$391 15.5%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 14.9% $58

Eating Out

Airway Heights, WA

$278 11%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 23.4% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Airway Heights, WA

$258 10.2%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 24.9% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Airway Heights, WA

$156 6.2%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 3.4% $5.3

Getting Around

Airway Heights, WA

$80 3.2%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 18.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Airway Heights, WA

$67 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 33% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Airway Heights, WA and $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 14% 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: $76 in Airway Heights, WA vs $90 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $391 vs $449 per month, with Airway Heights, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Airway Heights, WA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

16:09 4:09 PM

18:09 6:09 PM

2 h ahead of Airway Heights, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,757

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Airway Heights, WA Chicago, IL 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Airway Heights, WA
Chicago, IL

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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

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

Airway Heights, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Airway Heights, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Airway Heights, WA. 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: $1,589 in Airway Heights, WA versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,374 in Airway Heights, WA versus $1,652 in Chicago, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Airway Heights, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Airway Heights, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.