Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Issaquah, WA and in Chicago, IL: $3,081 and $3,139 a month, rent and utilities included.

150

Cost of Living Index in Issaquah, WA
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Issaquah, WA Living Index
152

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

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Issaquah, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,081

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,081 per month in Issaquah, WA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Issaquah, WA $3,081
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,453 per month in Issaquah, WA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Issaquah, WA $4,453
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,826 per month in Issaquah, WA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Issaquah, WA $5,826
Chicago, IL $6,115

Issaquah, WA is about 2% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Issaquah, WA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Issaquah, WA by 127%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.35 $25.35

$20.65 $20.65

22.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 $79.2

$90.2 $90.2

-12.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 $11.72

$12.94 $12.94

-9.43%

Cappuccino

$4.80 $4.80

$5.60 $5.60

-14.29%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.64 $2.64

21.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.27 $2.27

-9.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 $7.18

$6.98 $6.98

2.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 $6.90

$8.83 $8.83

-21.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.27 $1.27

13.39%

White Bread (500g)

$5.37 $5.37

$3.80 $3.80

41.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$5.30 $5.30

8.87%

Eggs

$5.52 $5.52

$4.76 $4.76

15.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.18 $16.18

$13.96 $13.96

15.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$14.61 $14.61

4.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 $17.76

$18.77 $18.77

-5.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.82 $5.82

$5.19 $5.19

12.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.98 $1.98

13.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.93 $3.93

4.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$4.96 $4.96

-7.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.76 $2.76

-15.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.76 $2.76

-14.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.22 $2.22

-18.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.98 $2.98

2.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.33 $12.33

$14.02 $14.02

-12.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 $18.79

$15.28 $15.28

22.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.58 $2.58

-34.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.50 $3.50

41.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.47 $2.47

13.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.34 $3.34

-20.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.43 $1.43

14.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.47 $30.47

$24.32 $24.32

25.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.26 $1.26

6.35%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-18.85%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

3.10%

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

$227 $227

$193 $193

18.02%

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

$63.1 $63.1

$68.3 $68.3

-7.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.9 $84.9

$61.3 $61.3

38.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$15.27 $15.27

$17.74 $17.74

-13.92%

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

$2,107 $2,107

$1,652 $1,652

27.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.5K $31.5K

$31.1K $31.1K

1.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 $61.7

$66.1 $66.1

-6.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 $44.65

$51.2 $51.2

-12.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 $84.0

$100 $100

-16.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.9 $74.9

$141 $141

-46.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,079 $2,079

$2,446 $2,446

-15.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,682 $1,682

$1,678 $1,678

0.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,231 $3,231

$4,717 $4,717

-31.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,763 $2,763

$2,795 $2,795

-1.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,117 $4,117

$4,105 $4,105

0.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,290 $6,290

$4,866 $4,866

29.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.81

-2.50%

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

Last update for Issaquah, WA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Issaquah, WA

$1.7K 54.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 0.2% $4.1

Groceries & Markets

Issaquah, WA

$485 15.7%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 7.3% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Issaquah, WA

$375 12.2%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 14.2% $53

Eating Out

Issaquah, WA

$366 11.9%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 6.2% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Issaquah, WA

$119 3.9%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 35.1% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Issaquah, WA

$31 * 1%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 193% $59

Getting Around

Issaquah, WA

$22 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 331% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,079 in Issaquah, WA versus $2,446 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 29% higher in Issaquah, 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 $79.0 in Issaquah, WA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $485 in Issaquah, WA vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Issaquah, WA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

21:09 9:09 PM

23:09 11:09 PM

2 h ahead of Issaquah, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,051

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

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

From you

Issaquah, WA
Chicago, IL

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,081 in Issaquah, WA, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,621 per month in Issaquah, WA and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Issaquah, 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 $79.0 in Issaquah, WA and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,081 in Issaquah, WA and $3,139 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 $3,081 in Issaquah, WA to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Issaquah, 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.