Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waipahu, HI and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,234 in Waipahu, HI, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. The total is higher in Waipahu, HI despite lower rent and utilities.

155

Cost of Living Index in Waipahu, HI
Learn more

Waipahu, HI Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Waipahu, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,234

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,234 per month in Waipahu, HI vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Waipahu, HI $3,234
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,991 per month in Waipahu, HI vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Waipahu, HI $4,991
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $6,748 per month in Waipahu, HI vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Waipahu, HI $6,748
Chicago, IL $5,999

Waipahu, HI costs about 7% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Waipahu, HI and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Waipahu, HI by 138%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.50 $27.50

$20.71 $20.71

32.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$141 $141

$89.2 $89.2

58.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.92 $14.92

$13.19 $13.19

13.12%

Cappuccino

$10.38 $10.38

$5.66 $5.66

83.39%

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

$4.95 $4.95

$2.64 $2.64

87.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.28 $2.28

53.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.59 $10.59

$6.87 $6.87

54.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.61 $11.61

$8.84 $8.84

31.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.25 $1.25

-18.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.72 $3.72

-3.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.96 $9.96

$5.39 $5.39

84.79%

Eggs

$7.47 $7.47

$4.74 $4.74

57.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.40 $12.40

$13.84 $13.84

-10.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.02 $20.02

$14.40 $14.40

39.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.86 $21.86

$18.38 $18.38

18.93%

Apples (1kg)

$8.11 $8.11

$5.22 $5.22

55.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.98 $1.98

-19.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.06 $4.06

75.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.73 $9.73

$4.97 $4.97

95.77%

Potato (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.67 $2.67

82.02%

Onion (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.66 $2.66

83.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.26 $5.26

$2.24 $2.24

134.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.13 $3.13

0.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.18 $10.18

$13.82 $13.82

-26.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 $18.20

$14.88 $14.88

22.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.54 $2.54

5.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 $5.61

$3.51 $3.51

59.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.43 $2.43

-15.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.5 $60.5

$73.5 $73.5

-17.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.18 $3.18

8.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.39 $1.39

92.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.50 $44.50

$25.03 $25.03

77.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.20 $1.20

19.17%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

1.69%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.14%

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

$257 $257

$194 $194

31.96%

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

$67.1 $67.1

$69.5 $69.5

-3.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.6 $65.6

$61.6 $61.6

6.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.68 $43.68

$47.90 $47.90

-8.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$19.66 $19.66

$17.81 $17.81

10.39%

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

$2,167 $2,167

$1,794 $1,794

20.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.7K $26.7K

$31.9K $31.9K

-16.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.60 $44.60

$67.0 $67.0

-33.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.71 $40.71

$52.1 $52.1

-21.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 $86.5

$102 $102

-14.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$144 $144

-9.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 $1,614

$2,526 $2,526

-36.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 $1,451

$1,578 $1,578

-8.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,815 $2,815

$4,738 $4,738

-40.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,590 $2,590

$2,693 $2,693

-3.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$4,190 $4,190

-23.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,502 $2,502

$2,768 $2,768

-9.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

6.81

-1.62%

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

Last update for Waipahu, HI: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waipahu, HI

$1.5K 44.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 8.8% $127

Groceries & Markets

Waipahu, HI

$590 18.3%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 24.2% $143

Eating Out

Waipahu, HI

$499 15.4%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 30.9% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waipahu, HI

$389 12%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 16.4% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Waipahu, HI

$136 4.2%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 20.4% $28

Getting Around

Waipahu, HI

$86 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 9.2% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Waipahu, HI

$83 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 0.6% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,614 in Waipahu, HI 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 $141 in Waipahu, HI versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $590 vs $447 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waipahu, HI

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

17:56 5:56 PM

21:56 9:56 PM

4 h ahead of Waipahu, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,894

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Waipahu, HI Chicago, IL 6,850 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Waipahu, HI
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

Waipahu, HI vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,234 in Waipahu, HI, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,852 per month in Waipahu, HI 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 Waipahu, HI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,614 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Waipahu, HI, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $141 in Waipahu, HI and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,234 in Waipahu, HI 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 $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $3,234 in Waipahu, HI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.