Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver, WA: $2,823 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver, WA
Learn more

Vancouver, WA Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Vancouver, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,823

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,823 per month in Vancouver, WA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Vancouver, WA $2,823
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,997 per month in Vancouver, WA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Vancouver, WA $3,997
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $5,171 per month in Vancouver, WA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Vancouver, WA $5,171
Chicago, IL $6,077

Vancouver, WA is about 11% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vancouver, WA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Vancouver, WA by 109%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.20 $22.20

$21.58 $21.58

2.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.9 $92.9

$88.7 $88.7

4.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.04 $13.04

$13.20 $13.20

-1.21%

Cappuccino

$5.85 $5.85

$5.59 $5.59

4.65%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$2.63 $2.63

15.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.26 $2.26

-16.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.51 $6.51

$7.11 $7.11

-8.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.83 $7.83

$9.23 $9.23

-15.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.28 $1.28

-16.41%

White Bread (500g)

$4.23 $4.23

$3.84 $3.84

10.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$5.07 $5.07

-13.41%

Eggs

$4.24 $4.24

$4.84 $4.84

-12.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.02 $12.02

$14.17 $14.17

-15.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 $10.52

$14.61 $14.61

-27.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.79 $16.79

$18.76 $18.76

-10.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$5.19 $5.19

-20.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$2.00 $2.00

-29.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$4.00 $4.00

-30.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.98 $4.98

-48.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.79 $2.79

-24.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.65 $2.65

-32.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.13 $2.13

-2.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$3.09 $3.09

-41.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.14 $12.14

$16.05 $16.05

-24.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.05 $11.05

$15.20 $15.20

-27.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.62 $2.62

-18.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.46 $3.46

31.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.47 $2.47

2.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.2 $91.2

$75.1 $75.1

21.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 $4.45

$3.21 $3.21

38.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.39 $1.39

-45.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.16 $24.16

$25.02 $25.02

-3.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.24 $1.24

16.94%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$37.2K $37.2K

-0.62%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$25.8K $25.8K

-2.28%

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

$201 $201

$192 $192

4.35%

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

$72.4 $72.4

$67.8 $67.8

6.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 $63.2

$60.9 $60.9

3.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.25 $41.25

$53.6 $53.6

-23.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.96 $25.96

$27.90 $27.90

-6.95%

Cinema Ticket

$15.19 $15.19

$17.80 $17.80

-14.66%

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

$1,387 $1,387

$1,554 $1,554

-10.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K $12.9K

$31.4K $31.4K

-58.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.99 $40.99

$67.9 $67.9

-39.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.02 $30.02

$50.8 $50.8

-40.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 $86.5

$101 $101

-14.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.3 $85.3

$143 $143

-40.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,809 $1,809

$2,383 $2,383

-24.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 $1,481

$1,712 $1,712

-13.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,365 $2,365

$4,674 $4,674

-49.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,117 $2,117

$2,738 $2,738

-22.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,409 $3,409

$4,158 $4,158

-18.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,378 $3,378

$2,691 $2,691

25.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,492 $4,492

$4,894 $4,894

-8.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.77

-1.18%

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

Last update for Vancouver, WA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver, WA

$1.5K 52.4%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 15.6% $231

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver, WA

$361 12.8%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 24.9% $90

Eating Out

Vancouver, WA

$355 12.6%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 0.6% $2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver, WA

$336 11.9%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 4.5% $15

Getting Around

Vancouver, WA

$110 3.9%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 13.2% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver, WA

$109 3.9%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 49.7% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver, WA

$72 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 24.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,809 in Vancouver, WA versus $2,383 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 9% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $93.0 in Vancouver, WA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $361 in Vancouver, WA vs $451 in Chicago, IL – so Vancouver, WA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Vancouver, WA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

21:53 9:53 PM

23:53 11:53 PM

2 h ahead of Vancouver, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

190,915

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Vancouver, WA Chicago, IL 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,823 in Vancouver, WA, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 13% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,235 per month in Vancouver, WA and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vancouver, WA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $93.0 in Vancouver, WA and $89.0 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 $2,823 in Vancouver, WA and $3,185 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 $2,823 in Vancouver, WA to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. 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 Vancouver, WA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.