Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Chicago, IL and in Bothell, WA: $3,037 and $3,183 a month, rent and utilities included.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
154

Cost of Living Index in Bothell, WA
Learn more

Bothell, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Bothell, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $3,183 in Bothell, WA.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Bothell, WA $3,183

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $4,942 in Bothell, WA.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Bothell, WA $4,942

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $6,700 in Bothell, WA.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Bothell, WA $6,700

Living in Chicago, IL costs roughly 5% less than in Bothell, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Bothell, WA 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$25.19 $25.19

-17.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$92.6 $92.6

-3.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$14.97 $14.97

-11.89%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.58 $6.58

-13.98%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.08 $3.08

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.61 $2.61

-12.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.99 $7.99

-14.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.18 $8.18

8.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.16 $1.16

7.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.13 $4.13

-9.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.73 $5.73

-5.93%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.65 $5.65

-16.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$15.99 $15.99

-13.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$15.91 $15.91

-9.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$22.83 $22.83

-19.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.16 $5.16

1.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.87 $1.87

5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.30 $5.30

-23.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.44 $5.44

-8.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.55 $3.55

-24.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.99 $2.99

-11.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.26 $2.26

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.86 $2.86

9.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$12.19 $12.19

13.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.89 $14.89

-0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.61 $2.61

-2.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.89 $4.89

-28.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.97 $2.97

-18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$101 $101

-27.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.61 $2.61

21.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.71 $1.71

-18.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$30.52 $30.52

-17.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.39 $1.39

-13.67%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$30.2K $30.2K

16.12%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$27.2K $27.2K

-1.86%

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

$194 $194

$233 $233

-16.69%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$48.56 $48.56

43.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$78.6 $78.6

-21.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$58.2 $58.2

-17.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$11.99 $11.99

128.02%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.90 $14.90

19.53%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,068 $2,068

-13.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$31.0K $31.0K

3.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$61.4 $61.4

9.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$45.12 $45.12

15.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$115 $115

-12.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$163 $163

-11.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,923 $1,923

31.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,541 $1,541

2.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,463 $3,463

36.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$3,052 $3,052

-11.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$5,922 $5,922

-29.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$4,920 $4,920

-43.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$6,220 $6,220

-20.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.68

1.95%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bothell, WA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Bothell, WA

$1.5K 48.4% 2.3% $37

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Bothell, WA

$492 15.5% 10.1% $45

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Bothell, WA

$404 12.7% 17.3% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Bothell, WA

$361 11.3% 10.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Bothell, WA

$173 5.4% 5.5% $9.1

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Bothell, WA

$124 3.9% 32.6% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Bothell, WA

$88 2.8% 5.4% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,923 in Bothell, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bothell, WA pays 26% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $93 in Bothell, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $492 per month, with Chicago, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bothell, WA

🕒 Local time

13:39 1:39 PM

11:39 11:39 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

48,161

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

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

Chicago, IL and Bothell, WA differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($3,037 vs $3,183 including rent). Chicago, IL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 21% 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 $1,923 in Bothell, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Bothell, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chicago, IL – a meal for two runs $89 versus $93 in Bothell, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Chicago, IL wins on affordability, Bothell, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.