Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Lakewood, WA and in Chicago, IL: $3,284 and $3,139 a month, rent and utilities included.

158

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

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

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Lakewood, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,284

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,284 per month in Lakewood, WA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lakewood, WA $3,284
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,777 per month in Lakewood, WA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lakewood, WA $4,777
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $6,270 per month in Lakewood, WA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lakewood, WA $6,270
Chicago, IL $6,115

Lakewood, WA costs about 5% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lakewood, WA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Lakewood, WA by 142%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.09 $18.09

$20.65 $20.65

-12.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.6 $67.6

$90.2 $90.2

-25.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.71 $12.71

$12.94 $12.94

-1.78%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$5.60 $5.60

-7.14%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$2.64 $2.64

12.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.27 $2.27

-9.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.90 $3.90

$6.98 $6.98

-44.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 $6.10

$8.83 $8.83

-30.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.27 $1.27

-19.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$3.80 $3.80

-3.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$5.30 $5.30

-20.00%

Eggs

$3.92 $3.92

$4.76 $4.76

-17.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.72 $13.72

$13.96 $13.96

-1.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.69 $8.69

$14.61 $14.61

-40.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.21 $11.21

$18.77 $18.77

-40.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$5.19 $5.19

-15.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.98 $1.98

-2.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$3.93 $3.93

5.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.96 $4.96

-8.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.76 $2.76

-28.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.76 $2.76

-22.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.22 $2.22

-9.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.98 $2.98

-16.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$14.02 $14.02

-11.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.84 $15.84

$15.28 $15.28

3.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.58 $2.58

-23.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.50 $3.50

18.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.47 $2.47

-17.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$197 $197

$74.8 $74.8

163.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.34 $3.34

-39.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 $0.64

$1.43 $1.43

-55.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.31 $27.31

$24.32 $24.32

12.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.26 $1.26

6.35%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.74%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.1K $26.1K

0.90%

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

$289 $289

$193 $193

49.83%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$68.3 $68.3

8.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.5 $89.5

$61.3 $61.3

46.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.00 $41.00

$54.1 $54.1

-24.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.97 $24.97

$27.92 $27.92

-10.57%

Cinema Ticket

$18.08 $18.08

$17.74 $17.74

1.92%

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

$1,965 $1,965

$1,652 $1,652

18.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K $25.7K

$31.1K $31.1K

-17.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 $50.1

$66.1 $66.1

-24.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 $38.11

$51.2 $51.2

-25.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

0.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$141 $141

-3.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 $1,961

$2,446 $2,446

-19.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,733 $1,733

$1,678 $1,678

3.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,365 $3,365

$4,717 $4,717

-28.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,047 $3,047

$2,795 $2,795

9.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,359 $2,359

$4,105 $4,105

-42.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,606 $2,606

$2,650 $2,650

-1.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

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 Lakewood, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lakewood, WA

$1.7K 52.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 3.2% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lakewood, WA

$452 13.8%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 28.7% $130

Groceries & Markets

Lakewood, WA

$369 11.2%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 21.9% $81

Eating Out

Lakewood, WA

$297 9.1%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 15.6% $46

Getting Around

Lakewood, WA

$210 6.4%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 54.7% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Lakewood, WA

$146 4.5%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 10.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Lakewood, WA

$77 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 16.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,961 in Lakewood, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Lakewood, WA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $369 vs $449 – making Lakewood, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lakewood, WA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

20:12 8:12 PM

2 h ahead of Lakewood, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

140,024

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

Lakewood, WA Chicago, IL 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Lakewood, WA
Chicago, IL

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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,284 in Lakewood, WA, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,926 per month in Lakewood, 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 Chicago, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 22% cheaper in Lakewood, WA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Lakewood, WA and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,284 in Lakewood, 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 $3,139 in Chicago, IL to $3,284 in Lakewood, WA. 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 Chicago, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lakewood, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.