Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Maple Valley, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Maple Valley, WA: $2,785 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Maple Valley, WA
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Maple Valley, WA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Maple Valley, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,785 in Maple Valley, WA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Maple Valley, WA $2,785

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,112 in Maple Valley, WA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Maple Valley, WA $4,112

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,439 in Maple Valley, WA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Maple Valley, WA $5,439

Chicago, IL costs about 13% more than Maple Valley, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Maple Valley, WA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Maple Valley, WA by 106%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$17.24 $17.24

19.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$81.0 $81.0

11.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$10.60 $10.60

22.08%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.73 $4.73

18.39%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.02 $1.02

158.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.14 $2.14

6.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$3.94 $3.94

77.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.92 $6.92

27.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.08 $1.08

17.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.64 $3.64

4.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.02 $4.02

31.84%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.88 $3.88

22.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$13.89 $13.89

0.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$13.13 $13.13

11.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$29.74 $29.74

-36.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.11 $5.11

1.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.96 $1.96

1.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.09 $4.09

-3.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.80 $4.80

3.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.95 $1.95

41.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.45 $2.45

12.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.82 $2.82

-21.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.50 $2.50

19.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$12.23 $12.23

14.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$16.05 $16.05

-4.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.06 $2.06

25.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.23 $4.23

-17.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.76 $1.76

40.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

$47.62 $47.62

56.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.97 $2.97

12.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.84 $1.84

-22.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$28.18 $28.18

-13.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.35 $1.35

-6.67%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.8K $27.8K

25.88%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.3K $26.3K

-0.91%

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

$193 $193

$121 $121

59.63%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$72.5 $72.5

-5.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$88.7 $88.7

-30.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$42.17 $42.17

28.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

$19.95 $19.95

39.95%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$17.90 $17.90

-0.89%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,440 $1,440

14.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$33.5K $33.5K

-7.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$49.25 $49.25

34.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$57.0 $57.0

-10.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$104 $104

-3.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$135 $135

4.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,599 $1,599

53.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,475 $1,475

13.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,544 $2,544

85.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,413 $2,413

15.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,817 $2,817

45.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,032 $2,032

30.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Maple Valley, WA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Maple Valley, WA

$1.5K 52.9% 12.1% $203

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Maple Valley, WA

$456 16.4% 1.4% $6.4

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Maple Valley, WA

$273 9.8% 20.7% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Maple Valley, WA

$282 10.1% 12.5% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Maple Valley, WA

$155 5.6% 3.7% $5.9

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Maple Valley, WA

$67 2.4% 29.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Maple Valley, WA

$78 2.8% 13% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,599 in Maple Valley, 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 $90 in Chicago, IL versus $81 in Maple Valley, WA. Groceries tell a different story – $449 in Chicago, IL vs $456 in Maple Valley, WA – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Maple Valley, WA

🕒 Local time

18:08 6:08 PM

16:08 4:08 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

28,013

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Maple Valley, WA 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,785 in Maple Valley, WA – roughly 13% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,178 in Maple Valley, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maple Valley, WA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,599 there versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Chicago, IL and $81 in Maple Valley, WA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 36% less in Maple Valley, WA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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