Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Bainbridge Island, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Bainbridge Island, WA: $2,787 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Bainbridge Island, WA
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Bainbridge Island, WA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Bainbridge Island, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,787

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,787 in Bainbridge Island, WA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Bainbridge Island, WA $2,787

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,891 in Bainbridge Island, WA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Bainbridge Island, WA $4,891

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,994 in Bainbridge Island, WA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Bainbridge Island, WA $6,994

Chicago, IL costs about 10% more than Bainbridge Island, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Bainbridge Island, WA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Bainbridge Island, WA by 106%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$23.38 $23.38

-12.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$101 $101

-12.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$14.82 $14.82

-13.29%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$4.67 $4.67

23.77%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.65 $2.65

3.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.93 $2.93

-22.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$6.82 $6.82

0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$7.77 $7.77

18.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.09 $1.09

15.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$5.19 $5.19

-31.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$5.65 $5.65

-4.78%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$3.20 $3.20

42.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$18.94 $18.94

-27.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$18.31 $18.31

-23.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$21.52 $21.52

-16.08%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.95 $5.95

-13.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.90 $1.90

4.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$5.44 $5.44

-28.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$6.51 $6.51

-25.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.54 $3.54

-20.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.84 $2.84

-5.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.68 $2.68

-22.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.41 $2.41

25.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$12.15 $12.15

14.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.76 $14.76

1.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$4.14 $4.14

-36.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.16 $3.16

9.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.06 $2.06

17.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$59.9 $59.9

25.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.63 $2.63

20.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.25 $1.25

36.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$30.44 $30.44

-18.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.33 $1.33

-3.76%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$36.0K $36.0K

-0.51%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.54%

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

$192 $192

$175 $175

9.46%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$68.2 $68.2

2.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$86.5 $86.5

-28.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$40.69 $40.69

17.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$13.83 $13.83

28.92%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$2,805 $2,805

-35.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$20.1K $20.1K

101.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$84.7 $84.7

-21.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$51.0 $51.0

0.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$100 $100

3.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$160 $160

-10.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,562 $1,562

62.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,255 $1,255

29.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$3,712 $3,712

30.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$3,492 $3,492

-21.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$2,836 $2,836

46.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,344 $2,344

16.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$4,820 $4,820

2.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

13.00%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Bainbridge Island, WA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Bainbridge Island, WA

$1.3K 45% 22.6% $367

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Bainbridge Island, WA

$519 18.6% 18.2% $80

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Bainbridge Island, WA

$359 12.9% 4.5% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Bainbridge Island, WA

$330 11.9% 1.9% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Bainbridge Island, WA

$178 6.4% 8.9% $15

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Bainbridge Island, WA

$77 2.8% 20.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Bainbridge Island, WA

$68 2.5% 18.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,562 in Bainbridge Island, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $101 in Bainbridge Island, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $519 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bainbridge Island, WA

🕒 Local time

05:11 5:11 AM

03:11 3:11 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

24,825

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Bainbridge Island, WA 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,787 in Bainbridge Island, WA – Bainbridge Island, WA comes out roughly 9% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,180 in Bainbridge Island, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bainbridge Island, WA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,562 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Bainbridge Island, WA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,815 per month in Chicago, IL and $2,805 in Bainbridge Island, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,787 in Bainbridge Island, WA to $3,072 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.