Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Arlington, WA: $2,779 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 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
135

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, WA
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Arlington, WA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Arlington, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $2,779 in Arlington, WA.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Arlington, WA $2,779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $4,295 in Arlington, WA.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Arlington, WA $4,295

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $5,810 in Arlington, WA.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Arlington, WA $5,810

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 9% more expensive than in Arlington, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Arlington, WA 104% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$24.91 $24.91

-16.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$98.4 $98.4

-9.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$13.96 $13.96

-5.52%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.90 $5.90

-4.07%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.95 $2.95

-10.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$3.04 $3.04

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.92 $6.92

-0.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.94 $6.94

27.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.03 $1.03

21.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.70 $3.70

0.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.16 $4.16

29.57%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.97 $3.97

19.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$13.96 $13.96

-0.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$12.96 $12.96

11.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$22.69 $22.69

-19.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.07 $5.07

2.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.85 $1.85

7.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.19 $4.19

-3.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.72 $4.72

5.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.01 $2.01

32.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.40 $2.40

10.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.68 $2.68

-16.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.39 $2.39

30.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$12.08 $12.08

14.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.15 $15.15

-1.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.06 $2.06

23.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.36 $4.36

-19.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.63 $2.63

20.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.65 $1.65

-15.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$29.89 $29.89

-16.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.41 $1.41

-14.89%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.6K $27.6K

26.92%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.5K $26.5K

0.77%

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

$194 $194

$294 $294

-33.97%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$67.9 $67.9

2.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$86.9 $86.9

-29.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$32.47 $32.47

47.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$17.68 $17.68

0.74%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,749 $2,749

-34.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$31.3K $31.3K

2.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$50.3 $50.3

33.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$55.7 $55.7

-6.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

-0.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$135 $135

6.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,519 $1,519

66.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,281 $1,281

23.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,805 $2,805

68.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,531 $2,531

6.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$5,787 $5,787

-14.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Arlington, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Arlington, WA

$1.3K 46.1% 18.8% $297

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Arlington, WA

$431 15.5% 3.6% $16

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Arlington, WA

$384 13.8% 11.4% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Arlington, WA

$449 16.2% 38% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Arlington, WA

$155 5.6% 5.8% $9.4

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Arlington, WA

$11 * 0.4% 88.3% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Arlington, WA

$68 2.4% 18.8% $16

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 $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,519 in Arlington, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arlington, WA pays 17% 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 $98 in Arlington, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $447 vs $431, with Arlington, WA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Arlington, WA

🕒 Local time

12:25 12:25 PM

10:25 10:25 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

365,438

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,779 in Arlington, WA, so Arlington, WA is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 15% 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 $1,519 in Arlington, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL versus $2,779 in Arlington, WA – Arlington, WA is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.