Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Airway Heights, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Airway Heights, WA: $2,531 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Airway Heights, WA
Learn more

Airway Heights, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Airway Heights, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,531

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $2,531 in Airway Heights, WA.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Airway Heights, WA $2,531

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $3,742 in Airway Heights, WA.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Airway Heights, WA $3,742

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $4,953 in Airway Heights, WA.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Airway Heights, WA $4,953

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 24% more expensive than in Airway Heights, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Airway Heights, WA 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$17.26 $17.26

19.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$76.2 $76.2

18.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$9.78 $9.78

32.31%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.26 $4.26

31.46%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.34 $2.34

12.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.24 $2.24

1.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.84 $5.84

19.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.07 $6.07

45.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.95 $0.95

33.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.30 $3.30

15.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.84 $4.84

9.50%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.42 $4.42

7.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$15.81 $15.81

-11.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$10.02 $10.02

45.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$16.69 $16.69

12.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.99 $4.99

4.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.47 $1.47

34.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$5.37 $5.37

-26.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.05 $4.05

22.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.34 $2.34

17.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.82 $2.82

-2.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.95 $1.95

13.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.87 $1.87

59.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$10.30 $10.30

36.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$13.93 $13.93

9.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.79 $1.79

44.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.37 $4.37

-19.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.98 $1.98

24.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

$58.8 $58.8

27.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$5.12 $5.12

-34.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.69 $1.69

-15.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$39.84 $39.84

-38.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.36 $1.36

-7.35%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.8K $27.8K

26.00%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$24.5K $24.5K

6.57%

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

$193 $193

$136 $136

41.46%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$51.7 $51.7

31.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$70.1 $70.1

-12.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$40.39 $40.39

33.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$13.48 $13.48

31.60%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,374 $1,374

20.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$14.2K $14.2K

118.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$52.8 $52.8

25.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$43.46 $43.46

17.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$105 $105

-4.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$145 $145

-3.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,589 $1,589

53.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,300 $1,300

29.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,462 $2,462

91.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,156 $2,156

29.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,888 $2,888

42.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,183 $2,183

21.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$4,269 $4,269

13.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.84

-0.44%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Airway Heights, WA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Airway Heights, WA

$1.3K 51.4% 22.5% $378

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Airway Heights, WA

$391 15.5% 13% $58

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Airway Heights, WA

$278 11% 19% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Airway Heights, WA

$258 10.2% 19.9% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Airway Heights, WA

$156 6.2% 3.3% $5.3

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Airway Heights, WA

$80 3.2% 15.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Airway Heights, WA

$67 2.7% 24.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,446 in Chicago, IL and $1,589 in Airway Heights, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 14% 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 in Chicago, IL vs $76 in Airway Heights, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $391 per month, with Airway Heights, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Airway Heights, WA

🕒 Local time

19:18 7:18 PM

17:18 5:18 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

10,757

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Airway Heights, WA 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Airway Heights, 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 Airway Heights, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Airway Heights, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Airway Heights, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 14% 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 $1,589 in Airway Heights, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,652 in Chicago, IL versus $1,374 in Airway Heights, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Airway Heights, 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.

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