Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bremerton, WA: $2,795 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Bremerton, WA
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Bremerton, WA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Bremerton, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,795

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $2,795 in Bremerton, WA.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Bremerton, WA $2,795

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $3,981 in Bremerton, WA.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Bremerton, WA $3,981

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $5,167 in Bremerton, WA.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Bremerton, WA $5,167

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Bremerton, WA 105% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.68 $19.68

5.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$66.1 $66.1

34.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.12 $11.12

18.62%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.88 $4.88

15.98%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.85 $2.85

-7.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.02 $2.02

12.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.58 $6.58

4.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.12 $8.12

8.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.26 $1.26

-0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.57 $3.57

4.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.29 $3.29

63.83%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.39 $5.39

-12.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$9.36 $9.36

47.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$14.03 $14.03

2.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$13.09 $13.09

40.41%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.46 $4.46

17.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.19 $1.19

66.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.94 $3.94

3.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.01 $2.01

147.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.64 $1.64

62.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.45 $1.45

83.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$0.82 $0.82

173.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$0.53 $0.53

490.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$12.10 $12.10

14.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$16.91 $16.91

-12.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.76 $1.76

44.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.16 $4.16

-15.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.98 $1.98

22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$49.87 $49.87

47.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.96 $1.96

62.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.81 $1.81

-23.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$15.05 $15.05

66.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.25 $1.25

-4.00%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.7K $27.7K

26.32%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.07%

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

$194 $194

$276 $276

-29.45%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$62.2 $62.2

11.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$85.3 $85.3

-27.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$58.4 $58.4

-17.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$4.85 $4.85

463.71%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$9.32 $9.32

91.09%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,670 $2,670

-32.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$30.8K $30.8K

3.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$39.82 $39.82

68.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$29.86 $29.86

74.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$92.4 $92.4

9.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$74.3 $74.3

93.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,822 $1,822

38.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,457 $1,457

8.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,759 $2,759

71.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,380 $2,380

13.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,701 $3,701

13.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,986 $2,986

-7.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$5,080 $5,080

-2.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.55

3.97%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bremerton, WA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Bremerton, WA

$1.5K 52.1% 7.6% $121

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Bremerton, WA

$344 12.3% 23.1% $103

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Bremerton, WA

$318 11.4% 7.8% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Bremerton, WA

$423 15.1% 30% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Bremerton, WA

$106 3.8% 35.1% $58

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Bremerton, WA

$69 2.5% 26.3% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Bremerton, WA

$77 2.8% 7.8% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,822 in Bremerton, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bremerton, WA pays 3% 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 $66 in Bremerton, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $344 per month, with Bremerton, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bremerton, WA

🕒 Local time

17:18 5:18 PM

15:18 3:18 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

39,056

💱 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 Bremerton, WA 2,810 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,795 in Bremerton, WA, so Bremerton, WA is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% 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 $1,822 in Bremerton, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bremerton, WA – a meal for two runs $66 versus $89 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

Expats usually find Bremerton, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.