Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bonney Lake, WA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Bonney Lake, WA: $2,707 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Bonney Lake, WA
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Bonney Lake, WA Living Index
152

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

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Bonney Lake, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,707

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,707 per month in Bonney Lake, WA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bonney Lake, WA $2,707
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,911 per month in Bonney Lake, WA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bonney Lake, WA $3,911
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,114 per month in Bonney Lake, WA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bonney Lake, WA $5,114
Chicago, IL $6,115

Bonney Lake, WA is about 14% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bonney Lake, WA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Bonney Lake, WA by 100%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.50 $25.50

$20.65 $20.65

23.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.9 $63.9

$90.2 $90.2

-29.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 $12.21

$12.94 $12.94

-5.64%

Cappuccino

$5.87 $5.87

$5.60 $5.60

4.82%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$2.64 $2.64

10.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.27 $2.27

-28.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.04 $7.04

$6.98 $6.98

0.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 $6.83

$8.83 $8.83

-22.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.27 $1.27

-15.75%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.80 $3.80

8.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$5.30 $5.30

-42.08%

Eggs

$5.20 $5.20

$4.76 $4.76

9.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 $16.26

$13.96 $13.96

16.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.44 $10.44

$14.61 $14.61

-28.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.67 $16.67

$18.77 $18.77

-11.19%

Apples (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$5.19 $5.19

-1.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.98 $1.98

-18.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.93 $3.93

3.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$4.96 $4.96

-5.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.76 $2.76

-1.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.76 $2.76

-11.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.22 $2.22

-20.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.98 $2.98

-15.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.26 $12.26

$14.02 $14.02

-12.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.90 $14.90

$15.28 $15.28

-2.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.58 $2.58

-33.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$3.50 $3.50

-34.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.47 $2.47

-27.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.34 $3.34

-22.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.43 $1.43

22.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.13 $30.13

$24.32 $24.32

23.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.26 $1.26

9.52%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

-18.72%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$26.1K $26.1K

3.50%

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

$234 $234

$193 $193

21.57%

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

$92.5 $92.5

$68.3 $68.3

35.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$61.3 $61.3

40.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.55 $26.55

$54.1 $54.1

-50.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$13.74 $13.74

$17.74 $17.74

-22.55%

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

$1,428 $1,428

$1,652 $1,652

-13.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.3K $32.3K

$31.1K $31.1K

3.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 $59.7

$66.1 $66.1

-9.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.90 $44.90

$51.2 $51.2

-12.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 $84.7

$100 $100

-15.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 $99.8

$141 $141

-29.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,619 $1,619

$2,446 $2,446

-33.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,309 $1,309

$1,678 $1,678

-21.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,482 $2,482

$4,717 $4,717

-47.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 $2,149

$2,795 $2,795

-23.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,495 $2,495

$4,105 $4,105

-39.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,656 $2,656

$2,650 $2,650

0.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

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 Bonney Lake, WA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bonney Lake, WA

$1.3K 48.4%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 28.1% $368

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bonney Lake, WA

$413 15.3%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 21.9% $91

Groceries & Markets

Bonney Lake, WA

$404 14.9%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 11.3% $46

Eating Out

Bonney Lake, WA

$378 14%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 9.2% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Bonney Lake, WA

$130 4.8%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 24% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Bonney Lake, WA

$54 2%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 65.8% $36

Getting Around

Bonney Lake, WA

$18 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 415% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,619 in Bonney Lake, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Bonney Lake, WA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $404 vs $449 – making Bonney Lake, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bonney Lake, WA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

05:36 5:36 AM

07:36 7:36 AM

2 h ahead of Bonney Lake, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,487

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

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

From you

Bonney Lake, 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

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

Yes – Chicago, IL is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,060 per month in Bonney Lake, 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 Bonney Lake, WA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,707 in Bonney Lake, WA and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. That's a gap of about 16%.

Kindergarten costs $1,428 per month in Bonney Lake, 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.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,707 in Bonney Lake, WA and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bonney Lake, WA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Bonney Lake, 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.