Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Arlington, WA: $2,779 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, WA
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Arlington, WA Living Index
147

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

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Arlington, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,779

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,779 in Arlington, WA versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL.

Arlington, WA $2,779
Chicago, IL $3,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,295 in Arlington, WA versus $4,518 in Chicago, IL.

Arlington, WA $4,295
Chicago, IL $4,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,810 in Arlington, WA versus $5,999 in Chicago, IL.

Arlington, WA $5,810
Chicago, IL $5,999

Living in Arlington, WA costs roughly 8% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arlington, WA 104% above, Chicago, IL 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.91 $24.91

$20.71 $20.71

20.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.4 $98.4

$89.2 $89.2

10.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 $13.96

$13.19 $13.19

5.84%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$5.66 $5.66

4.24%

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

$2.95 $2.95

$2.64 $2.64

11.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.28 $2.28

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.92 $6.92

$6.87 $6.87

0.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$8.84 $8.84

-21.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.25 $1.25

-17.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.72 $3.72

-0.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$5.39 $5.39

-22.82%

Eggs

$3.97 $3.97

$4.74 $4.74

-16.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$13.84 $13.84

0.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.96 $12.96

$14.40 $14.40

-10.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.69 $22.69

$18.38 $18.38

23.45%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$5.22 $5.22

-2.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.98 $1.98

-6.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.06 $4.06

3.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$4.97 $4.97

-5.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.67 $2.67

-24.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.66 $2.66

-9.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.24 $2.24

19.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.13 $3.13

-23.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.08 $12.08

$13.82 $13.82

-12.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.15 $15.15

$14.88 $14.88

1.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.54 $2.54

-18.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.51 $3.51

24.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.18 $3.18

-17.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.39 $1.39

18.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.89 $29.89

$25.03 $25.03

19.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.20 $1.20

17.50%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.21%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.76%

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

$294 $294

$194 $194

51.45%

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

$67.9 $67.9

$69.5 $69.5

-2.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.9 $86.9

$61.6 $61.6

41.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.47 $32.47

$47.90 $47.90

-32.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.68 $17.68

$17.81 $17.81

-0.73%

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

$2,749 $2,749

$1,794 $1,794

53.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$31.9K $31.9K

-2.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 $50.3

$67.0 $67.0

-24.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 $55.7

$52.1 $52.1

6.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

0.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$144 $144

-5.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 $1,519

$2,526 $2,526

-39.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 $1,281

$1,578 $1,578

-18.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,805 $2,805

$4,738 $4,738

-40.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$2,693 $2,693

-6.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,787 $5,787

$4,931 $4,931

17.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

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

Last update for Arlington, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arlington, WA

$1.3K 46.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 23.1% $297

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arlington, WA

$449 16.2%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 27.5% $124

Groceries & Markets

Arlington, WA

$431 15.5%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 3.8% $16

Eating Out

Arlington, WA

$384 13.8%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 10.3% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Arlington, WA

$155 5.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 6.1% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Arlington, WA

$68 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 23.1% $16

Getting Around

Arlington, WA

$11 * 0.4%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 757% $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 $1,519 in Arlington, WA and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arlington, WA pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $98 in Arlington, WA vs $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $431 vs $447, with Arlington, WA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Arlington, WA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

09:36 9:36 AM

11:36 11:36 AM

2 h ahead of Arlington, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

365,438

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Arlington, WA Chicago, IL 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Arlington, 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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,779 in Arlington, WA and $3,037 in Chicago, IL, so Arlington, WA is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 17% higher in Arlington, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,519 in Arlington, WA versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,779 per month in Arlington, WA versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Arlington, WA is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.