Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Richland, WA and in Chicago, IL: $3,182 and $3,139 a month, rent and utilities included.

153

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

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

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Richland, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,182

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,182 per month in Richland, WA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Richland, WA $3,182
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,400 per month in Richland, WA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Richland, WA $4,400
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,618 per month in Richland, WA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Richland, WA $5,618
Chicago, IL $6,115

Richland, WA costs about 1% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Richland, WA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Richland, WA by 135%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.68 $19.68

$20.65 $20.65

-4.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 $89.7

$90.2 $90.2

-0.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.05 $13.05

$12.94 $12.94

0.85%

Cappuccino

$5.86 $5.86

$5.60 $5.60

4.64%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$2.64 $2.64

-7.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.27 $2.27

-11.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 $7.89

$6.98 $6.98

13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.79 $7.79

$8.83 $8.83

-11.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.27 $1.27

-19.69%

White Bread (500g)

$4.84 $4.84

$3.80 $3.80

27.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$5.30 $5.30

-6.98%

Eggs

$4.94 $4.94

$4.76 $4.76

3.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.70 $18.70

$13.96 $13.96

33.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.34 $19.34

$14.61 $14.61

32.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.51 $28.51

$18.77 $18.77

51.89%

Apples (1kg)

$6.59 $6.59

$5.19 $5.19

26.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.98 $1.98

3.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.93 $3.93

52.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.89 $8.89

$4.96 $4.96

79.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.76 $2.76

5.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.76 $2.76

-18.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.22 $2.22

41.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.98 $2.98

-15.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.54 $11.54

$14.02 $14.02

-17.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 $15.16

$15.28 $15.28

-0.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.58 $2.58

-31.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 $5.19

$3.50 $3.50

48.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 $4.99

$3.34 $3.34

49.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.43 $1.43

34.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.15 $24.15

$24.32 $24.32

-0.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.26 $1.26

-1.59%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.46%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.14%

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

$315 $315

$193 $193

63.46%

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

$42.57 $42.57

$68.3 $68.3

-37.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.3 $67.3

$61.3 $61.3

9.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.6 $73.6

$54.1 $54.1

35.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.11 $30.11

$27.92 $27.92

7.84%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 $13.65

$17.74 $17.74

-23.06%

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

$1,450 $1,450

$1,652 $1,652

-12.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K $24.2K

$31.1K $31.1K

-22.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.4 $60.4

$66.1 $66.1

-8.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.96 $29.96

$51.2 $51.2

-41.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$100 $100

1.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 $132

$141 $141

-6.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 $1,871

$2,446 $2,446

-23.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 $1,601

$1,678 $1,678

-4.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,782 $1,782

$4,717 $4,717

-62.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,145 $2,145

$2,795 $2,795

-23.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,973 $2,973

$4,105 $4,105

-27.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,685 $2,685

$2,650 $2,650

1.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,593 $4,593

$4,866 $4,866

-5.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.81

-3.52%

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

Last update for Richland, WA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Richland, WA

$1.6K 50.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 4.8% $76

Groceries & Markets

Richland, WA

$555 17.5%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 19.1% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Richland, WA

$425 13.4%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 24.2% $103

Eating Out

Richland, WA

$340 10.7%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 1.1% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Richland, WA

$146 4.6%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 10.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Richland, WA

$101 3.2%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 11.2% $11

Getting Around

Richland, WA

$15 * 0.5%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 550% $81

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,871 in Richland, 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 6% 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 $90.0 in Richland, WA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $555 in Richland, WA vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Richland, WA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

03:51 3:51 AM

05:51 5:51 AM

2 h ahead of Richland, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,560

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Richland, WA Chicago, IL 2,560 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Richland, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,182 in Richland, WA, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,774 per month in Richland, 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 $90.0 in Richland, WA and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Richland, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,182 in Richland, 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 $3,182 in Richland, 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, Richland, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.