Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,139 a month against $3,337 in Lynnwood, WA, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lynnwood, WA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

162

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

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

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Lynnwood, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,337

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,337 per month in Lynnwood, WA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lynnwood, WA $3,337
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,679 per month in Lynnwood, WA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lynnwood, WA $4,679
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $6,020 per month in Lynnwood, WA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lynnwood, WA $6,020
Chicago, IL $6,115

Lynnwood, WA costs about 6% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lynnwood, WA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Lynnwood, WA by 146%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.12 $22.12

$20.65 $20.65

7.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 $79.9

$90.2 $90.2

-11.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 $11.94

$12.94 $12.94

-7.73%

Cappuccino

$5.67 $5.67

$5.60 $5.60

1.25%

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

$3.19 $3.19

$2.64 $2.64

20.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.27 $2.27

11.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$6.98 $6.98

-1.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.80 $7.80

$8.83 $8.83

-11.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.27 $1.27

-14.17%

White Bread (500g)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.80 $3.80

19.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$5.30 $5.30

-18.87%

Eggs

$5.62 $5.62

$4.76 $4.76

18.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.86 $14.86

$13.96 $13.96

6.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.92 $13.92

$14.61 $14.61

-4.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.18 $11.18

$18.77 $18.77

-40.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$5.19 $5.19

-5.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.98 $1.98

-12.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.93 $3.93

5.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$4.96 $4.96

-9.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.76 $2.76

-21.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.76 $2.76

9.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.22 $2.22

-21.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.98 $2.98

-34.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.51 $12.51

$14.02 $14.02

-10.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.78 $18.78

$15.28 $15.28

22.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.58 $2.58

-33.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.50 $3.50

-2.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.47 $2.47

24.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.34 $3.34

-24.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.43 $1.43

14.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$24.32 $24.32

22.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.26 $1.26

9.52%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.62%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.94%

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

$192 $192

$193 $193

-0.19%

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

$81.5 $81.5

$68.3 $68.3

19.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$61.3 $61.3

5.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.36 $49.36

$54.1 $54.1

-8.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.02 $17.02

$17.74 $17.74

-4.06%

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

$1,963 $1,963

$1,652 $1,652

18.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K $31.7K

$31.1K $31.1K

2.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.34 $49.34

$66.1 $66.1

-25.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.33 $44.33

$51.2 $51.2

-13.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 $85.6

$100 $100

-14.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$141 $141

-27.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,045 $2,045

$2,446 $2,446

-16.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,999 $1,999

$1,678 $1,678

19.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,601 $2,601

$4,717 $4,717

-44.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 $3,043

$2,795 $2,795

8.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,292 $4,292

$4,866 $4,866

-11.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

6.81

-5.43%

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

Last update for Lynnwood, 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

Lynnwood, WA

$2K 59.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 16.1% $321

Groceries & Markets

Lynnwood, WA

$413 12.4%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 8.7% $36

Eating Out

Lynnwood, WA

$354 10.6%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 2.9% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lynnwood, WA

$338 10.1%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 4.7% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Lynnwood, WA

$127 3.8%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 27.4% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Lynnwood, WA

$83 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 7.4% $6.2

Getting Around

Lynnwood, WA

$23 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 313% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,045 in Lynnwood, 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 13% higher in Chicago, IL, 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 $80.0 in Lynnwood, WA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $413 vs $449 – making Lynnwood, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lynnwood, WA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

09:40 9:40 AM

11:40 11:40 AM

2 h ahead of Lynnwood, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,568

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

Lynnwood, WA Chicago, IL 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Lynnwood, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,337 in Lynnwood, WA, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,006 per month in Lynnwood, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Lynnwood, 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 9% cheaper in Lynnwood, WA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,337 in Lynnwood, 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 $3,337 in Lynnwood, 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, Lynnwood, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.