Cost of Living Comparison Between Washington, DC and Chicago, IL Cost of Living Comparison Between Washington, DC and Chicago, IL

😐 Solo nomad: Washington, DC is 16.6% more expensive than Chicago, IL without rent, and 22.2% more expensive with rent.

😐 Family of 3: Washington, DC is 16.1% more expensive than Chicago, IL without rent, and 32% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.51 $27.51

$20.10 $20.10

36.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$102 $102

17.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.04 $12.04

$12.02 $12.02

0.17%

Cappuccino

$5.96 $5.96

$5.62 $5.62

6.05%

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

$2.99 $2.99

$3.01 $3.01

-0.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.35 $2.35

16.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.20 $8.20

$6.98 $6.98

17.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.09 $10.09

$8.45 $8.45

19.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.09 $1.09

5.50%

White Bread (500g)

$4.58 $4.58

$4.12 $4.12

11.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.57 $5.57

23.34%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$4.51 $4.51

-1.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.75 $17.75

$14.42 $14.42

23.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.07 $15.07

$15.02 $15.02

0.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.14 $19.14

$18.98 $18.98

0.84%

Apples (1kg)

$6.01 $6.01

$5.20 $5.20

15.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.78 $1.78

14.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.34 $4.34

21.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.31 $6.31

$4.53 $4.53

39.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.55 $2.55

40.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.71 $2.71

37.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.49 $2.49

8.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.63 $2.63

-4.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$15.12 $15.12

-15.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 $15.76

$14.91 $14.91

5.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.47 $2.47

19.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 $4.45

$3.66 $3.66

21.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.57 $2.57

9.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 $76.3

$74.3 $74.3

2.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.30 $3.30

17.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.37 $1.37

80.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.51 $30.51

$24.96 $24.96

22.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.06 $1.06

-16.04%

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

$29.7K $29.7K

$31.4K $31.4K

-5.61%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.2K $26.2K

-0.36%

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

$210 $210

$187 $187

12.85%

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

$59.2 $59.2

$63.0 $63.0

-5.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.9 $68.9

$65.8 $65.8

4.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 $109

$75.2 $75.2

44.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.13 $38.13

$12.95 $12.95

194.44%

Cinema Ticket

$16.90 $16.90

$15.13 $15.13

11.70%

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

$2,692 $2,692

$2,067 $2,067

30.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.9K $40.9K

$38.8K $38.8K

5.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.8 $79.8

$64.0 $64.0

24.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

-0.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$97.3 $97.3

3.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 $147

$144 $144

2.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,534 $2,534

$2,338 $2,338

8.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,073 $2,073

$1,614 $1,614

28.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,015 $6,015

$4,764 $4,764

26.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,223 $4,223

$2,762 $2,762

52.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,765 $8,765

$3,766 $3,766

132.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,229 $3,229

$2,614 $2,614

23.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,131 $6,131

$5,006 $5,006

22.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

6.6

-1.82%

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

Last update for Washington, DC: March 1, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: March 3, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Similar cities

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

Miami, FL

🇺🇸 United States

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

Basel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

Honolulu, HI

🇺🇸 United States

Irvine, CA

🇺🇸 United States