Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Wenatchee, WA: $2,545 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

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

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

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Wenatchee, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,545

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Wenatchee, WA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Wenatchee, WA $2,545
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,651 per month in Wenatchee, WA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Wenatchee, WA $3,651
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,756 per month in Wenatchee, WA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Wenatchee, WA $4,756
Chicago, IL $6,115

Wenatchee, WA is about 19% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Wenatchee, WA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Wenatchee, WA by 88%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 $24.70

$20.65 $20.65

19.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.5 $80.5

$90.2 $90.2

-10.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 $12.01

$12.94 $12.94

-7.19%

Cappuccino

$5.69 $5.69

$5.60 $5.60

1.61%

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

$2.35 $2.35

$2.64 $2.64

-10.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.27 $2.27

-1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 $6.94

$6.98 $6.98

-0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 $6.95

$8.83 $8.83

-21.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.27 $1.27

-13.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.80 $3.80

-29.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$5.30 $5.30

-46.04%

Eggs

$4.67 $4.67

$4.76 $4.76

-1.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.87 $11.87

$13.96 $13.96

-14.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 $8.09

$14.61 $14.61

-44.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$18.77 $18.77

-3.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$5.19 $5.19

-26.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.98 $1.98

-14.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.93 $3.93

-12.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$4.96 $4.96

-6.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.76 $2.76

-30.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.76 $2.76

5.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.22 $2.22

-21.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 $1.07

$2.98 $2.98

-64.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 $7.96

$14.02 $14.02

-43.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

$15.28 $15.28

-2.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.58 $2.58

-34.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.50 $3.50

-38.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.34 $3.34

-21.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.43 $1.43

16.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.41 $29.41

$24.32 $24.32

20.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.26 $1.26

-5.56%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.76%

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

$22.2K $22.2K

$26.1K $26.1K

-14.75%

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

$130 $130

$193 $193

-32.39%

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

$58.8 $58.8

$68.3 $68.3

-13.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$61.3 $61.3

14.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.21 $33.21

$54.1 $54.1

-38.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 $20.21

$27.92 $27.92

-27.61%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$17.74 $17.74

-20.74%

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

$1,071 $1,071

$1,652 $1,652

-35.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K $10.1K

$31.1K $31.1K

-67.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.50 $48.50

$66.1 $66.1

-26.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.10 $45.10

$51.2 $51.2

-11.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.5 $68.5

$100 $100

-31.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.5 $71.5

$141 $141

-49.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 $1,404

$2,446 $2,446

-42.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 $1,401

$1,678 $1,678

-16.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 $2,059

$4,717 $4,717

-56.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 $2,098

$2,795 $2,795

-24.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,446 $3,446

$4,105 $4,105

-16.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,650 $2,650

30.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,777 $3,777

$4,866 $4,866

-22.37%

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 Wenatchee, 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

Wenatchee, WA

$1.4K 55%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 19.8% $277

Eating Out

Wenatchee, WA

$369 14.5%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 6.9% $25

Groceries & Markets

Wenatchee, WA

$338 13.3%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 32.8% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wenatchee, WA

$260 10.2%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 24.2% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Wenatchee, WA

$105 4.1%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 53.4% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Wenatchee, WA

$61 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 46.1% $28

Getting Around

Wenatchee, WA

$11 * 0.4%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 770% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,404 in Wenatchee, 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 29% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Wenatchee, WA versus $90 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $338 vs $449 – making Wenatchee, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wenatchee, WA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

14:04 2:04 PM

16:04 4:04 PM

2 h ahead of Wenatchee, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,508

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Wenatchee, WA Chicago, IL 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Wenatchee, WA
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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,545 in Wenatchee, WA, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,817 per month in Wenatchee, 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 Wenatchee, WA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,404 there versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Wenatchee, WA and $90 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,545 in Wenatchee, WA and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Wenatchee, WA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Wenatchee, 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.