Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Kennewick, WA: $2,729 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Kennewick, WA
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Kennewick, WA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Kennewick, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,729

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,729 in Kennewick, WA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Kennewick, WA $2,729

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,092 in Kennewick, WA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Kennewick, WA $4,092

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,456 in Kennewick, WA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Kennewick, WA $5,456

Chicago, IL costs about 13% more than Kennewick, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Kennewick, WA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Kennewick, WA by 102%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$22.07 $22.07

-7.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$88.7 $88.7

-0.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$12.14 $12.14

5.85%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$6.10 $6.10

-5.25%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.46 $2.46

11.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.91 $1.91

18.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$7.79 $7.79

-11.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$7.99 $7.99

15.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.98 $0.98

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.82 $2.82

25.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$1.91 $1.91

181.68%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$3.74 $3.74

21.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$8.07 $8.07

69.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$17.60 $17.60

-20.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$16.14 $16.14

11.90%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.17 $4.17

23.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.27 $1.27

55.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$1.96 $1.96

97.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.15 $2.15

124.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.44 $2.44

15.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.44 $2.44

9.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.01 $2.01

2.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.58 $2.58

17.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$11.37 $11.37

22.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$16.21 $16.21

-7.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.47 $3.47

-24.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$5.46 $5.46

-36.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$5.04 $5.04

-37.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.89 $1.89

-10.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$23.65 $23.65

5.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.22 $1.22

4.92%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$33.6K $33.6K

6.35%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.1K $25.1K

6.59%

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

$192 $192

$308 $308

-37.68%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$60.7 $60.7

14.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$67.7 $67.7

-8.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$14.76 $14.76

20.80%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,681 $1,681

7.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$31.7K $31.7K

28.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$60.6 $60.6

9.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$41.69 $41.69

23.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$115 $115

-9.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$119 $119

19.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,883 $1,883

34.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,359 $1,359

19.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,794 $2,794

72.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,508 $2,508

8.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$2,788 $2,788

49.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,822 $2,822

-3.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$4,246 $4,246

15.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.3

7.62%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Kennewick, WA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Kennewick, WA

$1.4K 49.8% 16.2% $263

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Kennewick, WA

$380 13.9% 13.4% $59

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Kennewick, WA

$359 13.1% 4.3% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Kennewick, WA

$437 16% 34.8% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Kennewick, WA

$151 5.5% 7.7% $13

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Kennewick, WA

$15 * 0.5% 85% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Kennewick, WA

$30 * 1.1% 64.6% $54

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,883 in Kennewick, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 16% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $89 in Kennewick, WA. Groceries tell a different story – $439 in Chicago, IL vs $380 in Kennewick, WA – so Kennewick, WA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Kennewick, WA

🕒 Local time

19:23 7:23 PM

17:23 5:23 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

83,921

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Kennewick, WA 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,729 in Kennewick, WA – Kennewick, WA comes out roughly 11% 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 $4,094 in Kennewick, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kennewick, WA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,883 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Kindergarten costs $1,815 per month in Chicago, IL and $1,681 in Kennewick, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,729 in Kennewick, WA. That makes Kennewick, WA about 11% cheaper.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,729 in Kennewick, WA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Kennewick, WA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Kennewick, WA. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.