Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,763 in Bellevue, WA, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

181

Cost of Living Index in Bellevue, WA
Learn more

Bellevue, WA Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Bellevue, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,763

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,763 in Bellevue, WA versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL.

Bellevue, WA $3,763
Chicago, IL $3,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Bellevue, WA versus $4,518 in Chicago, IL.

Bellevue, WA $5,702
Chicago, IL $4,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,641 in Bellevue, WA versus $5,999 in Chicago, IL.

Bellevue, WA $7,641
Chicago, IL $5,999

Living in Bellevue, WA is roughly 24% more expensive than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bellevue, WA 177% above, Chicago, IL 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.38 $25.38

$20.71 $20.71

22.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$89.2 $89.2

12.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.03 $13.03

$13.19 $13.19

-1.21%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$5.66 $5.66

2.47%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$2.64 $2.64

19.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.28 $2.28

10.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 $7.91

$6.87 $6.87

15.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$8.84 $8.84

-10.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.25 $1.25

-12.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.72 $3.72

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$5.39 $5.39

12.24%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$4.74 $4.74

16.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$13.84 $13.84

15.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.26 $16.26

$14.40 $14.40

12.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.78 $22.78

$18.38 $18.38

23.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.61 $5.61

$5.22 $5.22

7.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.98 $1.98

-5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$4.06 $4.06

36.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.97 $4.97

-9.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.67 $2.67

3.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.66 $2.66

24.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.24 $2.24

-11.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.13 $3.13

-20.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.41 $12.41

$13.82 $13.82

-10.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 $18.19

$14.88 $14.88

22.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.54 $2.54

-16.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.51 $3.51

35.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.43 $2.43

25.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$73.5 $73.5

49.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.18 $3.18

-16.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.39 $1.39

22.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.09 $30.09

$25.03 $25.03

20.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.20 $1.20

17.50%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-18.39%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.25%

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

$227 $227

$194 $194

17.00%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$69.5 $69.5

-21.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 $64.8

$61.6 $61.6

5.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$186 $186

$47.90 $47.90

288.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.31 $39.31

$27.34 $27.34

43.78%

Cinema Ticket

$18.28 $18.28

$17.81 $17.81

2.64%

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

$1,980 $1,980

$1,794 $1,794

10.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

-0.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.1 $62.1

$67.0 $67.0

-7.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.06 $44.06

$52.1 $52.1

-15.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 $99.2

$102 $102

-2.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$144 $144

-12.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,940 $2,940

$2,526 $2,526

16.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 $2,028

$1,578 $1,578

28.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,554 $6,554

$4,738 $4,738

38.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,722 $3,722

$2,693 $2,693

38.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,947 $7,947

$4,190 $4,190

89.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,385 $5,385

$2,768 $2,768

94.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,751 $8,751

$4,931 $4,931

77.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.81

-2.50%

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

Last update for Bellevue, WA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bellevue, WA

$2K 53.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 22.2% $450

Groceries & Markets

Bellevue, WA

$494 13.1%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 9.5% $47

Eating Out

Bellevue, WA

$390 10.4%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 11.5% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bellevue, WA

$346 9.2%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Bellevue, WA

$222 5.9%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 62.5% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Bellevue, WA

$149 4%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 10.2% $15

Getting Around

Bellevue, WA

$133 3.6%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 30% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,940 in Bellevue, WA and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bellevue, WA pays 77% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Bellevue, WA vs $89 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $494 vs $447 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bellevue, WA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

21:29 9:29 PM

23:29 11:29 PM

2 h ahead of Bellevue, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

151,854

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Bellevue, 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

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

Chicago, IL is about 19% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 77% higher in Bellevue, 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: $2,940 in Bellevue, WA versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chicago, IL – a meal for two runs $89 versus $101 in Bellevue, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,763 per month in Bellevue, WA versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Chicago, IL is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Chicago, IL is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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

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