Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Everett, WA and in Chicago, IL: $3,171 and $3,185 a month, rent and utilities included.

156

Cost of Living Index in Everett, WA
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Everett, WA Living Index
153

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

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Everett, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,171

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Everett, WA and in Chicago, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Everett, WA and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,171 per month in Everett, WA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Everett, WA $3,171
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $4,576 per month in Everett, WA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Everett, WA $4,576
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $5,981 per month in Everett, WA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Everett, WA $5,981
Chicago, IL $6,077

Everett, WA and Chicago, IL have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Everett, WA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Everett, WA by 135%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.82 $24.82

$21.58 $21.58

15.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 $81.6

$88.7 $88.7

-8.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.97 $11.97

$13.20 $13.20

-9.32%

Cappuccino

$5.07 $5.07

$5.59 $5.59

-9.30%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$2.63 $2.63

8.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.26 $2.26

-7.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 $6.97

$7.11 $7.11

-1.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 $7.08

$9.23 $9.23

-23.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.28 $1.28

-19.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.84 $3.84

-7.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$5.07 $5.07

-20.32%

Eggs

$4.11 $4.11

$4.84 $4.84

-15.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.81 $13.81

$14.17 $14.17

-2.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.24 $13.24

$14.61 $14.61

-9.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.96 $22.96

$18.76 $18.76

22.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$5.19 $5.19

1.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.00 $2.00

-15.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$4.00 $4.00

2.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.98 $4.98

-8.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.79 $2.79

-30.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.65 $2.65

-7.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.13 $2.13

-18.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$3.09 $3.09

-22.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.94 $11.94

$16.05 $16.05

-25.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.31 $16.31

$15.20 $15.20

7.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.62 $2.62

-32.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 $4.39

$3.46 $3.46

26.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.47 $2.47

23.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 $90.2

$75.1 $75.1

20.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 $2.56

$3.21 $3.21

-20.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.39 $1.39

19.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.81 $29.81

$25.02 $25.02

19.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.24 $1.24

8.06%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$37.2K $37.2K

-3.51%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

-0.07%

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

$228 $228

$192 $192

18.57%

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

$71.7 $71.7

$67.8 $67.8

5.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.5 $89.5

$60.9 $60.9

46.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.83 $29.83

$53.6 $53.6

-44.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$17.16 $17.16

$17.80 $17.80

-3.60%

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

$2,072 $2,072

$1,554 $1,554

33.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

0.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.23 $49.23

$67.9 $67.9

-27.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.47 $44.47

$50.8 $50.8

-12.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 $83.9

$101 $101

-17.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$143 $143

-10.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,856 $1,856

$2,383 $2,383

-22.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,676 $1,676

$1,712 $1,712

-2.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 $3,065

$4,674 $4,674

-34.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,719 $2,719

$2,738 $2,738

-0.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,325 $4,325

$4,158 $4,158

4.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,081 $4,081

$2,691 $2,691

51.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,394 $4,394

$4,894 $4,894

-10.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.77

-1.92%

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

Last update for Everett, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Everett, WA

$1.7K 52.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 2.2% $36

Groceries & Markets

Everett, WA

$427 13.5%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 5.6% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Everett, WA

$389 12.3%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 17.5% $68

Eating Out

Everett, WA

$364 11.5%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 3.1% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Everett, WA

$137 4.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 19% $26

Getting Around

Everett, WA

$113 3.6%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 16.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Everett, WA

$64 2%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 39% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,856 in Everett, WA versus $2,383 in Chicago, IL. 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 11% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Everett, WA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $427 vs $451 – making Everett, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Everett, WA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

13:50 1:50 PM

15:50 3:50 PM

2 h ahead of Everett, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,629

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

Everett, WA
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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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,757 per month in Everett, WA and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Everett, WA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Everett, WA and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Everett, WA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,171 in Everett, WA and $3,185 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,171 in Everett, WA to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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