Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,763 in Bellevue, WA, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 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
181

Cost of Living Index in Bellevue, WA
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Bellevue, WA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Bellevue, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,763

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $3,763 in Bellevue, WA.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Bellevue, WA $3,763

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $5,702 in Bellevue, WA.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Bellevue, WA $5,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $7,641 in Bellevue, WA.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Bellevue, WA $7,641

Living in Chicago, IL costs roughly 19% less than in Bellevue, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Bellevue, WA 177% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$25.38 $25.38

-18.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$101 $101

-11.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$13.03 $13.03

1.23%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.80 $5.80

-2.41%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.15 $3.15

-16.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.51 $2.51

-9.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.91 $7.91

-13.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.94 $7.94

11.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.10 $1.10

13.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.65 $4.65

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$6.05 $6.05

-10.91%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.54 $5.54

-14.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$15.96 $15.96

-13.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$16.26 $16.26

-11.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$22.78 $22.78

-19.32%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.61 $5.61

-6.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.87 $1.87

5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.54 $5.54

-26.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.52 $4.52

9.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.77 $2.77

-3.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.32 $3.32

-19.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.99 $1.99

12.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.48 $2.48

26.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$12.41 $12.41

11.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$18.19 $18.19

-18.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.12 $2.12

19.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.75 $4.75

-26.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.05 $3.05

-20.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$110 $110

-33.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.64 $2.64

20.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.70 $1.70

-18.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$30.09 $30.09

-16.82%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

22.53%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.26%

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

$194 $194

$227 $227

-14.53%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$54.2 $54.2

28.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$64.8 $64.8

-4.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$186 $186

-74.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$39.31 $39.31

-30.45%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$18.28 $18.28

-2.57%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,980 $1,980

-9.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

0.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$62.1 $62.1

8.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$44.06 $44.06

18.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$99.2 $99.2

2.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$125 $125

14.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,940 $2,940

-14.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,028 $2,028

-22.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$6,554 $6,554

-27.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$3,722 $3,722

-27.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$7,947 $7,947

-47.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$5,385 $5,385

-48.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$8,751 $8,751

-43.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.64

2.56%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bellevue, WA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Bellevue, WA

$2K 53.9% 28.5% $450

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Bellevue, WA

$494 13.1% 10.5% $47

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Bellevue, WA

$390 10.4% 13% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Bellevue, WA

$346 9.2% 6.4% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Bellevue, WA

$149 4% 9.3% $15

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Bellevue, WA

$133 3.6% 42.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Bellevue, WA

$222 5.9% 166% $139

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $2,940 in Bellevue, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bellevue, WA pays 77% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $101 in Bellevue, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $494 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bellevue, WA

🕒 Local time

01:05 1:05 AM

23:05 11:05 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

151,854

💱 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 Bellevue, WA 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Chicago, IL is about 19% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 44% 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 $2,940 in Bellevue, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chicago, IL – a meal for two runs $89 versus $101 in Bellevue, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL versus $3,763 in Bellevue, WA – Chicago, IL is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Chicago, IL is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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

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