Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Tacoma, WA and in Chicago, IL: $3,008 and $3,037 a month, rent and utilities included.

144

Cost of Living Index in Tacoma, WA
Learn more

Tacoma, WA Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Tacoma, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,008

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,008 per month in Tacoma, WA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Tacoma, WA $3,008
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,371 per month in Tacoma, WA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Tacoma, WA $4,371
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,735 per month in Tacoma, WA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Tacoma, WA $5,735
Chicago, IL $5,999

Tacoma, WA is about 1% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Tacoma, WA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Tacoma, WA by 121%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.28 $25.28

$20.71 $20.71

22.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 $80.9

$89.2 $89.2

-9.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$13.19 $13.19

-7.96%

Cappuccino

$5.61 $5.61

$5.66 $5.66

-0.88%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$2.64 $2.64

17.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.28 $2.28

15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 $6.94

$6.87 $6.87

1.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 $6.92

$8.84 $8.84

-21.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.25 $1.25

-12.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.72 $3.72

12.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.83 $5.83

$5.39 $5.39

8.16%

Eggs

$5.69 $5.69

$4.74 $4.74

20.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.85 $15.85

$13.84 $13.84

14.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.91 $15.91

$14.40 $14.40

10.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.45 $23.45

$18.38 $18.38

27.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$5.22 $5.22

-4.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.98 $1.98

-12.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.06 $4.06

6.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.97 $4.97

-9.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.67 $2.67

0.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.66 $2.66

10.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.24 $2.24

-22.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.13 $3.13

4.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.05 $12.05

$13.82 $13.82

-12.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.35 $18.35

$14.88 $14.88

23.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.54 $2.54

-30.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 $4.99

$3.51 $3.51

42.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.43 $2.43

-16.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.6 $62.6

$73.5 $73.5

-14.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.18 $3.18

-19.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.39 $1.39

21.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.77 $29.77

$25.03 $25.03

18.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.20 $1.20

10.00%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.41%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

1.76%

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

$230 $230

$194 $194

18.54%

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

$91.1 $91.1

$69.5 $69.5

31.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.7 $86.7

$61.6 $61.6

40.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.12 $36.12

$47.90 $47.90

-24.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.09 $18.09

$27.34 $27.34

-33.83%

Cinema Ticket

$13.97 $13.97

$17.81 $17.81

-21.56%

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

$2,085 $2,085

$1,794 $1,794

16.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K $32.6K

$31.9K $31.9K

1.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 $61.9

$67.0 $67.0

-7.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.73 $44.73

$52.1 $52.1

-14.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 $86.3

$102 $102

-15.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$144 $144

-9.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 $1,735

$2,526 $2,526

-31.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 $1,444

$1,578 $1,578

-8.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,699 $2,699

$4,738 $4,738

-43.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,309 $2,309

$2,693 $2,693

-14.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,794 $4,794

$4,190 $4,190

14.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,251 $3,251

$2,768 $2,768

17.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,927 $4,927

$4,931 $4,931

-0.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.81

-2.50%

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

Last update for Tacoma, 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

Tacoma, WA

$1.4K 48%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 9.3% $134

Groceries & Markets

Tacoma, WA

$487 16.2%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 8.2% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tacoma, WA

$408 13.6%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 20.3% $83

Eating Out

Tacoma, WA

$378 12.6%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 8.6% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Tacoma, WA

$145 4.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 12.9% $19

Getting Around

Tacoma, WA

$82 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 14.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Tacoma, WA

$64 2.1%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 30.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,735 in Tacoma, 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 $81 in Tacoma, WA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $487 in Tacoma, WA vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tacoma, WA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

06:05 6:05 AM

08:05 8:05 AM

2 h ahead of Tacoma, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,346

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Tacoma, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,008 in Tacoma, WA, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,512 per month in Tacoma, 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 Tacoma, WA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,735 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Chicago, IL – 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 $81 in Tacoma, WA and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,008 in Tacoma, WA and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tacoma, WA costs $3,008 versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.