Last update: Nov 2026

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

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.

130

Cost of Living Index in Kennewick, WA
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Kennewick, WA Living Index
146

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

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Kennewick, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,729

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kennewick, WA is about 11% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.07 $22.07

$20.39 $20.39

8.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$88.6 $88.6

0.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$12.85 $12.85

-5.53%

Cappuccino

$6.10 $6.10

$5.78 $5.78

5.54%

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

$2.46 $2.46

$2.74 $2.74

-10.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.26 $2.26

-15.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$6.88 $6.88

13.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.99 $7.99

$9.24 $9.24

-13.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.26 $1.26

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.55 $3.55

-20.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 $1.91

$5.38 $5.38

-64.50%

Eggs

$3.74 $3.74

$4.55 $4.55

-17.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.07 $8.07

$13.65 $13.65

-40.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$14.07 $14.07

25.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.14 $16.14

$18.06 $18.06

-10.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$5.16 $5.16

-19.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.98 $1.98

-35.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.88 $3.88

-49.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$4.83 $4.83

-55.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.81 $2.81

-13.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.67 $2.67

-8.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.07 $2.07

-2.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.03 $3.03

-14.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.37 $11.37

$13.90 $13.90

-18.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.21 $16.21

$15.05 $15.05

7.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.63 $2.63

31.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 $5.46

$3.45 $3.45

58.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 $5.04

$3.17 $3.17

58.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.70 $1.70

11.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.65 $23.65

$24.90 $24.90

-5.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.28 $1.28

-4.69%

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

$33.6K $33.6K

$35.8K $35.8K

-5.97%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$26.8K $26.8K

-6.18%

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

$308 $308

$192 $192

60.47%

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

$60.7 $60.7

$69.6 $69.6

-12.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$62.2 $62.2

8.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$14.76 $14.76

$17.83 $17.83

-17.22%

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

$1,681 $1,681

$1,815 $1,815

-7.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K $31.7K

$40.6K $40.6K

-22.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.6 $60.6

$66.2 $66.2

-8.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.69 $41.69

$51.4 $51.4

-18.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$103 $103

10.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$143 $143

-16.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,883 $1,883

$2,531 $2,531

-25.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 $1,359

$1,621 $1,621

-16.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 $2,794

$4,828 $4,828

-42.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,734 $2,734

-8.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,788 $2,788

$4,163 $4,163

-33.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,822 $2,822

$2,723 $2,723

3.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,246 $4,246

$4,924 $4,924

-13.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.3

6.78

-7.08%

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

Last update for Kennewick, WA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kennewick, WA

$1.4K 49.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8% 19.3% $263

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kennewick, WA

$437 16%

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5% 25.8% $113

Groceries & Markets

Kennewick, WA

$380 13.9%

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3% 15.5% $59

Eating Out

Kennewick, WA

$359 13.1%

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2% 4.1% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Kennewick, WA

$151 5.5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3% 8.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Kennewick, WA

$30 * 1.1%

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7% 183% $54

Getting Around

Kennewick, WA

$15 * 0.5%

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2% 566% $82

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,883 in Kennewick, WA versus $2,531 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 16% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Kennewick, WA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $439 – making Kennewick, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kennewick, WA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

15:49 3:49 PM

17:49 5:49 PM

2 h ahead of Kennewick, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,921

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

Kennewick, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,729 in Kennewick, WA, $3,072 in Chicago, IL – Kennewick, WA comes out roughly 11% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,094 per month in Kennewick, WA and $4,608 in Chicago, IL. 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 $1,681 per month in Kennewick, WA and $1,815 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,729 in Kennewick, WA and $3,072 in Chicago, IL. 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.