Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ocean Shores, WA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Ocean Shores, WA: $2,814 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

137

Cost of Living Index in Ocean Shores, WA
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Ocean Shores, WA Living Index
147

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

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Ocean Shores, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,814

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,814 per month in Ocean Shores, WA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Ocean Shores, WA $2,814
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,147 per month in Ocean Shores, WA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Ocean Shores, WA $4,147
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,480 per month in Ocean Shores, WA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Ocean Shores, WA $5,480
Chicago, IL $5,999

Ocean Shores, WA is about 7% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ocean Shores, WA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Ocean Shores, WA by 107%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.79 $24.79

$20.71 $20.71

19.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$89.2 $89.2

13.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.22 $15.22

$13.19 $13.19

15.39%

Cappuccino

$6.77 $6.77

$5.66 $5.66

19.61%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$2.64 $2.64

19.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.28 $2.28

37.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.87 $6.87

18.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 $8.16

$8.84 $8.84

-7.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.25 $1.25

-8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.72 $3.72

-12.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$5.39 $5.39

-0.37%

Eggs

$3.46 $3.46

$4.74 $4.74

-27.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 $11.19

$13.84 $13.84

-19.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$14.40 $14.40

-56.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.50 $16.50

$18.38 $18.38

-10.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$5.22 $5.22

-14.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.98 $1.98

-6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.06 $4.06

-17.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.29 $6.29

$4.97 $4.97

26.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.67 $2.67

30.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.66 $2.66

18.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.24 $2.24

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.13 $3.13

-37.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.42 $12.42

$13.82 $13.82

-10.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.75 $14.75

$14.88 $14.88

-0.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.54 $2.54

-14.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.51 $3.51

-43.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.43 $2.43

-19.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.7 $59.7

$73.5 $73.5

-18.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.18 $3.18

-16.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.39 $1.39

23.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.49 $29.49

$25.03 $25.03

17.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.20 $1.20

18.33%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$35.0K $35.0K

5.67%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.7K $26.7K

-3.47%

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

$302 $302

$194 $194

55.10%

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

$68.6 $68.6

$69.5 $69.5

-1.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 $87.5

$61.6 $61.6

41.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.13 $35.13

$47.90 $47.90

-26.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$18.30 $18.30

$17.81 $17.81

2.75%

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

$2,796 $2,796

$1,794 $1,794

55.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K $31.0K

$31.9K $31.9K

-3.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 $80.0

$67.0 $67.0

19.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 $55.3

$52.1 $52.1

6.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$102 $102

25.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 $160

$144 $144

11.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 $1,413

$2,526 $2,526

-44.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 $1,244

$1,578 $1,578

-21.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,604 $2,604

$4,738 $4,738

-45.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,071 $2,071

$2,693 $2,693

-23.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,770 $2,770

$4,190 $4,190

-33.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 $2,491

$2,768 $2,768

-9.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.81

1.17%

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

Last update for Ocean Shores, WA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ocean Shores, WA

$1.2K 44.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 26.9% $334

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ocean Shores, WA

$458 16.3%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 28.9% $132

Eating Out

Ocean Shores, WA

$407 14.5%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 15.3% $62

Groceries & Markets

Ocean Shores, WA

$365 13%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 22.7% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Ocean Shores, WA

$190 6.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 13.8% $26

Getting Around

Ocean Shores, WA

$79 2.8%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 18.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Ocean Shores, WA

$72 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 16.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,413 in Ocean Shores, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Ocean Shores, WA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $365 in Ocean Shores, WA vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Ocean Shores, WA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ocean Shores, WA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

15:23 3:23 PM

17:23 5:23 PM

2 h ahead of Ocean Shores, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,700

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Ocean Shores, WA Chicago, IL 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ocean Shores, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,814 in Ocean Shores, WA, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Ocean Shores, WA comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,221 per month in Ocean Shores, 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 Ocean Shores, WA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,413 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Ocean Shores, 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 $2,814 in Ocean Shores, WA and $3,037 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 $2,814 in Ocean Shores, WA to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.