Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Aberdeen, WA: $2,163 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Aberdeen, WA
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Aberdeen, WA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Aberdeen, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,163

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Aberdeen, WA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chicago, IL and in Aberdeen, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $2,163 in Aberdeen, WA.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Aberdeen, WA $2,163

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $3,192 in Aberdeen, WA.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Aberdeen, WA $3,192

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $4,221 in Aberdeen, WA.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Aberdeen, WA $4,221

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 45% more expensive than in Aberdeen, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Aberdeen, WA 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$24.98 $24.98

-17.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$99.0 $99.0

-8.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.98 $11.98

8.01%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.07 $5.07

10.45%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.06 $3.06

-13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.63 $2.63

-13.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.04 $6.04

15.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.91 $6.91

27.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.21 $1.21

4.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.22 $3.22

18.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.60 $3.60

47.22%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.88 $4.88

-2.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$8.39 $8.39

66.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$8.32 $8.32

75.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$14.61 $14.61

28.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.96 $5.96

-12.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.86 $1.86

6.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$5.22 $5.22

-24.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.53 $4.53

9.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.95 $2.95

-6.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.04 $3.04

-9.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.87 $2.87

-22.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.42 $2.42

23.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$10.39 $10.39

34.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$13.23 $13.23

15.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.77 $1.77

45.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.52 $2.52

38.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.52 $0.52

375.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.66 $2.66

25.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.72 $1.72

-16.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$29.97 $29.97

-18.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.20 $1.20

5.00%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$33.1K $33.1K

5.72%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

0.61%

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

$193 $193

$305 $305

-36.80%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$70.3 $70.3

-2.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$85.7 $85.7

-28.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$31.24 $31.24

73.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$5.14 $5.14

245.14%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,050 $1,050

57.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$30.8K $30.8K

0.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$45.57 $45.57

44.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$28.92 $28.92

77.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$55.8 $55.8

79.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$65.6 $65.6

114.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$922 $922

165.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$827 $827

102.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$1,280 $1,280

268.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,297 $1,297

115.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,935 $2,935

39.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,993 $2,993

-11.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$4,410 $4,410

10.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.66

2.25%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Aberdeen, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Aberdeen, WA

$827 38.2% 50.7% $851

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Aberdeen, WA

$369 17.1% 17.9% $80

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Aberdeen, WA

$363 16.8% 5.8% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Aberdeen, WA

$461 21.3% 43% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Aberdeen, WA

$88 4.1% 45.3% $73

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Aberdeen, WA

$13 * 0.6% 86% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Aberdeen, WA

$42 1.9% 53.7% $48

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 $2,446 in Chicago, IL and $922 in Aberdeen, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $99.0 in Aberdeen, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $449 vs $369, with Aberdeen, WA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Aberdeen, WA

🕒 Local time

11:27 11:27 AM

09:27 9:27 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

24,071

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Aberdeen, WA 2,900 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Aberdeen, WA

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

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

Aberdeen, WA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Chicago, IL, 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: $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $922 in Aberdeen, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,652 in Chicago, IL versus $1,050 in Aberdeen, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Aberdeen, WA – a meal for two runs $99.0 versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,163 in Aberdeen, WA versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Aberdeen, WA but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Aberdeen, WA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Aberdeen, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.