Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lacey, WA: $2,784 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

133

Cost of Living Index in Lacey, WA
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Lacey, WA Living Index
147

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

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Lacey, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,784

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,784 per month in Lacey, WA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lacey, WA $2,784
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,064 per month in Lacey, WA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lacey, WA $4,064
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,345 per month in Lacey, WA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lacey, WA $5,345
Chicago, IL $5,999

Lacey, WA is about 8% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lacey, WA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Lacey, WA by 105%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.93 $24.93

$20.71 $20.71

20.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 $70.7

$89.2 $89.2

-20.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.83 $14.83

$13.19 $13.19

12.43%

Cappuccino

$6.81 $6.81

$5.66 $5.66

20.32%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.64 $2.64

21.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.28 $2.28

28.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.87 $6.87

16.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$8.84 $8.84

-7.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.25 $1.25

-12.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.72 $3.72

23.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$5.39 $5.39

-40.82%

Eggs

$4.85 $4.85

$4.74 $4.74

2.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.22 $18.22

$13.84 $13.84

31.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 $10.56

$14.40 $14.40

-26.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 $16.87

$18.38 $18.38

-8.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$5.22 $5.22

-0.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.98 $1.98

-17.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 $4.11

$4.06 $4.06

1.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$4.97 $4.97

-5.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.67 $2.67

-1.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.66 $2.66

-6.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.24 $2.24

29.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.13 $3.13

-20.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.50 $12.50

$13.82 $13.82

-9.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$14.88 $14.88

1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.54 $2.54

-6.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$3.51 $3.51

-31.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.43 $2.43

-22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.4 $66.4

$73.5 $73.5

-9.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 $2.62

$3.18 $3.18

-17.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.39 $1.39

19.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.54 $29.54

$25.03 $25.03

18.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.20 $1.20

13.33%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.07%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.70%

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

$220 $220

$194 $194

13.31%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$69.5 $69.5

-1.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.6 $93.6

$61.6 $61.6

51.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.84 $39.84

$47.90 $47.90

-16.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.84 $12.84

$17.81 $17.81

-27.91%

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

$1,425 $1,425

$1,794 $1,794

-20.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K $31.7K

$31.9K $31.9K

-0.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.93 $44.93

$67.0 $67.0

-32.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 $55.7

$52.1 $52.1

6.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 $91.3

$102 $102

-10.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$144 $144

-30.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 $1,613

$2,526 $2,526

-36.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 $1,289

$1,578 $1,578

-18.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,256 $2,256

$4,738 $4,738

-52.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 $2,155

$2,693 $2,693

-19.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,252 $3,252

$4,190 $4,190

-22.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,507 $2,507

$2,768 $2,768

-9.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,247 $4,247

$4,931 $4,931

-13.87%

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 Lacey, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lacey, WA

$1.3K 46.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 22.4% $289

Groceries & Markets

Lacey, WA

$424 15.2%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 5.5% $23

Eating Out

Lacey, WA

$406 14.6%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 15.1% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lacey, WA

$382 13.7%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 14.8% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Lacey, WA

$132 4.7%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 24.7% $32

Getting Around

Lacey, WA

$85 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 10% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Lacey, WA

$66 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 27.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,613 in Lacey, WA versus $2,526 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 $71 in Lacey, WA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $424 vs $447 – making Lacey, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lacey, WA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

21:29 9:29 PM

23:29 11:29 PM

2 h ahead of Lacey, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,526

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lacey, WA Chicago, IL 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Lacey, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,784 in Lacey, WA, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Lacey, WA comes out roughly 8% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,175 per month in Lacey, WA and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lacey, WA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,613 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Lacey, WA and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,784 in Lacey, WA and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Lacey, 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 Lacey, 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.