Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Anacortes, WA: $2,527 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Anacortes, WA
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Anacortes, WA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Anacortes, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $2,527 in Anacortes, WA.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Anacortes, WA $2,527

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $3,761 in Anacortes, WA.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Anacortes, WA $3,761

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $4,995 in Anacortes, WA.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Anacortes, WA $4,995

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 20% more expensive than in Anacortes, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Anacortes, WA 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$17.81 $17.81

16.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$84.6 $84.6

5.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$13.55 $13.55

-2.66%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.04 $5.04

12.30%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.29 $2.29

15.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.03 $2.03

12.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.46 $5.46

25.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.14 $6.14

43.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.09 $1.09

14.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.93 $4.93

-24.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$1.75 $1.75

208.00%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.09 $4.09

15.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.24 $11.24

23.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$14.52 $14.52

-0.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$23.03 $23.03

-20.19%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.04 $6.04

-13.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.86 $1.86

6.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.19 $3.19

27.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.54 $5.54

-10.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.38 $1.38

93.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.17 $3.17

-16.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.53 $1.53

46.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.33 $2.33

34.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$12.51 $12.51

10.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.24 $14.24

4.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.89 $2.89

-12.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.22 $4.22

-16.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$5.19 $5.19

-53.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$21.95 $21.95

234.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.59 $2.59

22.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.67 $1.67

-16.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$30.26 $30.26

-17.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.30 $1.30

-7.69%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$36.6K $36.6K

-4.36%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.79%

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

$194 $194

$167 $167

16.16%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$52.0 $52.0

33.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$75.8 $75.8

-18.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$50.2 $50.2

-4.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$16.98 $16.98

4.89%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,161 $2,161

-17.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$30.9K $30.9K

3.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$55.1 $55.1

21.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$26.96 $26.96

93.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$95.2 $95.2

6.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$165 $165

-13.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,760 $1,760

43.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,203 $1,203

31.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,958 $2,958

60.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,982 $1,982

35.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,625 $2,625

59.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,417 $2,417

14.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$7,130 $7,130

-30.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

5.67

20.11%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Anacortes, WA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Anacortes, WA

$1.2K 47.6% 23.8% $375

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Anacortes, WA

$437 17.3% 2.4% $11

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Anacortes, WA

$301 11.9% 12.9% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Anacortes, WA

$295 11.7% 9.3% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Anacortes, WA

$154 6.1% 6% $9.8

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Anacortes, WA

$54 2.1% 42.6% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Anacortes, WA

$84 3.3% 0.8% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,760 in Anacortes, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Anacortes, WA pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $85 in Anacortes, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $437 per month, with Anacortes, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Anacortes, WA

🕒 Local time

18:03 6:03 PM

16:03 4:03 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

17,637

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

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

Anacortes, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Anacortes, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Chicago, IL. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,760 in Anacortes, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,794 in Chicago, IL versus $2,161 in Anacortes, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Anacortes, WA – a meal for two runs $85 versus $89 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Anacortes, 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.