Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Moses Lake, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Moses Lake, WA: $2,396 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 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
115

Cost of Living Index in Moses Lake, WA
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Moses Lake, WA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Moses Lake, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,396 in Moses Lake, WA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Moses Lake, WA $2,396

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,595 in Moses Lake, WA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Moses Lake, WA $3,595

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,795 in Moses Lake, WA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Moses Lake, WA $4,795

Chicago, IL costs about 27% more than Moses Lake, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Moses Lake, WA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Moses Lake, WA by 76%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$18.18 $18.18

13.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$79.9 $79.9

11.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.28 $12.28

7.41%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.38 $4.38

29.22%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.94 $2.94

-10.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.56 $2.56

-10.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.61 $4.61

49.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.16 $8.16

8.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.74 $0.74

68.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.83 $3.83

-2.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.08 $4.08

32.11%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.50 $3.50

35.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$9.10 $9.10

52.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$11.08 $11.08

29.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$13.45 $13.45

36.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.91 $5.91

-11.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.62 $1.62

22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.36 $5.36

-24.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.62 $5.62

-11.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.49 $3.49

-23.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.25 $3.25

-18.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.91 $2.91

-23.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.17 $2.17

44.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.66 $11.66

18.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.83 $14.83

0.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.79 $1.79

41.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.20 $4.20

-16.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.99 $1.99

22.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$67.0 $67.0

9.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.48 $2.48

28.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.58 $1.58

-12.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$30.13 $30.13

-16.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.16 $1.16

3.45%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$31.5K $31.5K

11.13%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.16%

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

$194 $194

$154 $154

25.87%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$70.1 $70.1

-0.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$75.7 $75.7

-18.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$41.80 $41.80

14.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$11.65 $11.65

52.88%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,113 $1,113

61.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$31.1K $31.1K

2.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$52.7 $52.7

27.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$25.09 $25.09

107.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$46.61 $46.61

117.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$81.4 $81.4

76.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,505 $1,505

67.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,167 $1,167

35.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,244 $2,244

111.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,029 $2,029

32.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,621 $2,621

59.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,840 $2,840

-2.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$9,063 $9,063

-45.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.89

-1.16%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Moses Lake, WA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Moses Lake, WA

$1.2K 48.7% 26% $411

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Moses Lake, WA

$390 16.3% 12.9% $58

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Moses Lake, WA

$296 12.4% 14.1% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Moses Lake, WA

$300 12.5% 7.8% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Moses Lake, WA

$93 3.9% 43.5% $71

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Moses Lake, WA

$85 3.6% 8.6% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Moses Lake, WA

$65 2.7% 22.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,505 in Moses Lake, 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 84% higher in Moses Lake, WA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $80 in Moses Lake, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $390 – making Moses Lake, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Moses Lake, WA

🕒 Local time

21:44 9:44 PM

19:44 7:44 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

25,146

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.897 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Moses Lake, WA 2,560 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,396 in Moses Lake, WA – Moses Lake, WA comes out roughly 21% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,594 in Moses Lake, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Moses Lake, WA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,505 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $80 in Moses Lake, WA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,396 in Moses Lake, WA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Moses Lake, WA is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 21% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.