Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bainbridge Island, WA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Bainbridge Island, WA: $2,854 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

137

Cost of Living Index in Bainbridge Island, WA
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Bainbridge Island, WA Living Index
152

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

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Bainbridge Island, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,854

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,854 per month in Bainbridge Island, WA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bainbridge Island, WA $2,854
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,988 per month in Bainbridge Island, WA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bainbridge Island, WA $4,988
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $7,123 per month in Bainbridge Island, WA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bainbridge Island, WA $7,123
Chicago, IL $6,115

Bainbridge Island, WA is about 9% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bainbridge Island, WA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Bainbridge Island, WA by 111%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.96 $24.96

$20.65 $20.65

20.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.3 $99.3

$90.2 $90.2

10.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.02 $15.02

$12.94 $12.94

16.07%

Cappuccino

$4.53 $4.53

$5.60 $5.60

-19.11%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$2.64 $2.64

-2.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.27 $2.27

29.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.06 $7.06

$6.98 $6.98

1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$8.83 $8.83

-10.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.27 $1.27

-10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$5.21 $5.21

$3.80 $3.80

37.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.36 $6.36

$5.30 $5.30

20.00%

Eggs

$3.20 $3.20

$4.76 $4.76

-32.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.75 $18.75

$13.96 $13.96

34.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.92 $18.92

$14.61 $14.61

29.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.07 $21.07

$18.77 $18.77

12.25%

Apples (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$5.19 $5.19

17.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.98 $1.98

-6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.93 $3.93

33.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.49 $6.49

$4.96 $4.96

30.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.76 $2.76

27.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.76 $2.76

14.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.22 $2.22

20.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.98 $2.98

-19.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.42 $12.42

$14.02 $14.02

-11.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.97 $14.97

$15.28 $15.28

-2.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.58 $2.58

67.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.50 $3.50

-14.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.47 $2.47

-17.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.1 $53.1

$74.8 $74.8

-29.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.34 $3.34

-23.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.43 $1.43

-9.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.63 $29.63

$24.32 $24.32

21.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.26 $1.26

8.73%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

1.67%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.94%

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

$173 $173

$193 $193

-10.02%

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

$70.9 $70.9

$68.3 $68.3

3.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.4 $86.4

$61.3 $61.3

40.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.02 $41.02

$54.1 $54.1

-24.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$14.22 $14.22

$17.74 $17.74

-19.84%

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

$3,003 $3,003

$1,652 $1,652

81.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.7K $30.7K

$31.1K $31.1K

-1.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 $77.5

$66.1 $66.1

17.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 $49.94

$51.2 $51.2

-2.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

-0.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$141 $141

15.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 $1,576

$2,446 $2,446

-35.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 $1,310

$1,678 $1,678

-21.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,720 $3,720

$4,717 $4,717

-21.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,603 $3,603

$2,795 $2,795

28.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,740 $2,740

$4,105 $4,105

-33.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 $2,332

$2,650 $2,650

-12.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,785 $4,785

$4,866 $4,866

-1.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

-11.89%

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

Last update for Bainbridge Island, 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

Bainbridge Island, WA

$1.3K 45.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 28.1% $368

Groceries & Markets

Bainbridge Island, WA

$525 18.4%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 14.4% $76

Eating Out

Bainbridge Island, WA

$372 13.1%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 7.8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bainbridge Island, WA

$331 11.6%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 2.6% $8.4

Clothing & Footwear

Bainbridge Island, WA

$176 6.2%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 8.2% $14

Getting Around

Bainbridge Island, WA

$70 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 35.5% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Bainbridge Island, WA

$69 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 29% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,576 in Bainbridge Island, WA versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Bainbridge Island, WA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $525 vs $449 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bainbridge Island, WA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

01:11 1:11 AM

03:11 3:11 AM

2 h ahead of Bainbridge Island, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,825

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Bainbridge Island, WA Chicago, IL 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Bainbridge Island, WA
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,854 in Bainbridge Island, WA, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,280 per month in Bainbridge Island, WA and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bainbridge Island, WA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 41% less in Bainbridge Island, WA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $3,003 per month in Bainbridge Island, WA and $1,652 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,854 in Bainbridge Island, WA and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,854 in Bainbridge Island, WA to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Bainbridge Island, WA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.