Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bremerton, WA: $2,874 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Bremerton, WA
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Bremerton, WA Living Index
152

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

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Bremerton, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,874

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,874 in Bremerton, WA versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL.

Bremerton, WA $2,874
Chicago, IL $3,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,037 in Bremerton, WA versus $4,627 in Chicago, IL.

Bremerton, WA $4,037
Chicago, IL $4,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,200 in Bremerton, WA versus $6,115 in Chicago, IL.

Bremerton, WA $5,200
Chicago, IL $6,115

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bremerton, WA 112% above, Chicago, IL 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.37 $20.37

$20.65 $20.65

-1.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 $64.5

$90.2 $90.2

-28.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.16 $11.16

$12.94 $12.94

-13.76%

Cappuccino

$4.75 $4.75

$5.60 $5.60

-15.18%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$2.64 $2.64

10.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.27 $2.27

-10.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.52 $6.52

$6.98 $6.98

-6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.96 $7.96

$8.83 $8.83

-9.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.27 $1.27

-2.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.80 $3.80

-6.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$5.30 $5.30

-37.17%

Eggs

$5.29 $5.29

$4.76 $4.76

11.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 $9.33

$13.96 $13.96

-33.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.01 $14.01

$14.61 $14.61

-4.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$18.77 $18.77

-30.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$5.19 $5.19

-16.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.98 $1.98

-37.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$3.93 $3.93

5.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$4.96 $4.96

-59.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.76 $2.76

-43.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.76 $2.76

-45.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 $0.87

$2.22 $2.22

-60.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 $0.56

$2.98 $2.98

-81.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.06 $12.06

$14.02 $14.02

-13.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.03 $17.03

$15.28 $15.28

11.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.58 $2.58

-31.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 $4.28

$3.50 $3.50

22.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.47 $2.47

-20.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.90 $36.90

$74.8 $74.8

-50.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.34 $3.34

-39.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.43 $1.43

32.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.92 $14.92

$24.32 $24.32

-38.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

-20.79%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.94%

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

$273 $273

$193 $193

41.49%

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

$62.0 $62.0

$68.3 $68.3

-9.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.2 $82.2

$61.3 $61.3

34.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.4 $65.4

$54.1 $54.1

20.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.12 $5.12

$27.92 $27.92

-81.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.38 $9.38

$17.74 $17.74

-47.13%

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

$2,729 $2,729

$1,652 $1,652

65.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.5K $31.5K

$31.1K $31.1K

1.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.94 $39.94

$66.1 $66.1

-39.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.52 $30.52

$51.2 $51.2

-40.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 $92.9

$100 $100

-7.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.7 $75.7

$141 $141

-46.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 $1,631

$2,446 $2,446

-33.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 $1,543

$1,678 $1,678

-8.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,709 $2,709

$4,717 $4,717

-42.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,426 $2,426

$2,795 $2,795

-13.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,565 $3,565

$4,105 $4,105

-13.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,227 $3,227

$2,650 $2,650

21.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,910 $4,910

$4,866 $4,866

0.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.81

-3.82%

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

Last update for Bremerton, 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

Bremerton, WA

$1.5K 53.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 8.7% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bremerton, WA

$417 14.5%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 22.7% $95

Groceries & Markets

Bremerton, WA

$345 12%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 30.4% $105

Eating Out

Bremerton, WA

$322 11.2%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 6.8% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Bremerton, WA

$108 3.7%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 49.9% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Bremerton, WA

$84 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 6.5% $5.4

Getting Around

Bremerton, WA

$56 2%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 69% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,631 in Bremerton, WA and $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bremerton, WA pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Bremerton, WA vs $90.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $449 per month, with Bremerton, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bremerton, WA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

23:01 11:01 PM

01:01 1:01 AM

2 h ahead of Bremerton, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,056

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

Bremerton, WA Chicago, IL 2,810 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

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Bremerton, WA
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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

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

Bremerton, WA and Chicago, IL differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,874 vs $3,139 including rent). Bremerton, WA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Bremerton, 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: $1,631 in Bremerton, WA versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bremerton, WA – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Bremerton, 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.

Safety-wise, Bremerton, WA and Chicago, IL are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bremerton, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.