Cost of Living Comparison Between Washington, DC and Chicago, IL 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in Chicago, IL are 5.7% lower than in Washington, DC (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in Chicago, IL are 11.2% lower than in Washington, DC | |
| Rent Prices in Chicago, IL are 18.7% lower than in Washington, DC | |
| Restaurant Prices in Chicago, IL are 3.3% lower than in Washington, DC | |
| Groceries Prices in Chicago, IL are 3.5% higher than in Washington, DC | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Chicago, IL is 6.2% lower than in Washington, DC | |
Restaurants | Washington, DC Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 25.00 $ | 24.50 $ | -2.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 100.00 $ | 95.00 $ | -5.0 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 12.00 $ | 11.34 $ | -5.5 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 8.00 $ | 8.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 9.50 $ | 9.00 $ | -5.3 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.51 $ | 5.17 $ | -6.0 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.53 $ | 2.95 $ | +16.7 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.30 $ | 2.34 $ | +1.8 % |
Markets | Washington, DC Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 4.32 $ | 4.24 $ | -1.7 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.69 $ | 3.80 $ | +2.8 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.26 $ | 2.77 $ | +22.6 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 4.32 $ | 3.87 $ | -10.5 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 7.23 $ | 7.52 $ | +4.0 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.05 $ | 6.70 $ | +10.8 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 9.01 $ | 9.61 $ | +6.8 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.39 $ | 2.80 $ | +17.1 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.96 $ | 0.89 $ | -7.2 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.32 $ | 2.27 $ | -2.1 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.77 $ | 2.26 $ | -18.4 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.65 $ | 1.18 $ | -28.5 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.60 $ | 1.29 $ | -19.3 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.80 $ | 2.32 $ | -17.2 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.55 $ | 2.46 $ | -3.7 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 16.00 $ | 14.50 $ | -9.4 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.30 $ | 2.43 $ | +5.7 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 4.63 $ | 4.31 $ | -6.9 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 12.11 $ | 16.50 $ | +36.3 % |
Transportation | Washington, DC Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.62 $ | 2.50 $ | -4.8 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 80.50 $ | 80.00 $ | -0.6 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.50 $ | 3.25 $ | -7.1 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 4.00 $ | 2.25 $ | -43.8 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 45.00 $ | 25.00 $ | -44.4 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 3.67 $ | 4.23 $ | +15.0 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 35,699.74 $ | 37,383.69 $ | +4.7 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 27,241.31 $ | 27,211.87 $ | -0.1 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Washington, DC Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 192.84 $ | 160.02 $ | -17.0 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 64.84 $ | 55.24 $ | -14.8 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 68.05 $ | 59.57 $ | -12.4 % |
Sports And Leisure | Washington, DC Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 108.75 $ | 79.76 $ | -26.7 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 41.22 $ | 6.25 $ | -84.8 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 15.00 $ | 15.00 $ | 0.0 % |
Childcare | Washington, DC Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,326.57 $ | 2,170.00 $ | -6.7 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 51,000.00 $ | 45,450.00 $ | -10.9 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Washington, DC Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 76.26 $ | 60.53 $ | -20.6 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 55.85 $ | 53.75 $ | -3.8 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 115.34 $ | 96.28 $ | -16.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 171.24 $ | 126.60 $ | -26.1 % |
Rent Per Month | Washington, DC Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,573.86 $ | 2,349.04 $ | -8.7 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,099.94 $ | 1,528.19 $ | -27.2 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 5,510.53 $ | 4,500.00 $ | -18.3 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 3,823.61 $ | 3,014.29 $ | -21.2 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Washington, DC Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 949.24 $ | 318.33 $ | -66.5 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 741.39 $ | 260.01 $ | -64.9 % |
Salaries And Financing | Washington, DC Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 6,610.89 $ | 5,507.46 $ | -16.7 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.60 | 6.64 | +0.6 % |
| Last update: | April 2024 | April 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 146 | 228 |
Moving to Washington, DC? Explore:
Moving to Chicago, IL? Explore:
Cities near Washington, DC: | Cost of Living in Arlington, Virginia | 4.38 miles |
| Cost of Living in Chevy Chase, Maryland | 7.01 miles |
| Cost of Living in Springfield, Virginia | 13.51 miles |
| Cost of Living in Rockville, Maryland | 17.91 miles |
| Cost of Living in Baltimore, Maryland | 38.92 miles |
| Cost of Living in Fredericksburg, Virginia | 52.45 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lexington Park, Maryland | 61.00 miles |
| Cost of Living in Richmond, Virginia | 106.83 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania | 113.70 miles |
| Cost of Living in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | 117.62 miles |
Cities near Chicago, IL: | Cost of Living in Oak Park, Illinois | 9.14 miles |
| Cost of Living in Evanston, Illinois | 14.20 miles |
| Cost of Living in La Grange Park, Illinois | 15.03 miles |
| Cost of Living in Franklin Park, Illinois | 16.69 miles |
| Cost of Living in Des Plaines, Illinois | 20.82 miles |
| Cost of Living in East Chicago, Indiana | 23.76 miles |
| Cost of Living in Wheaton, Illinois | 25.81 miles |
| Cost of Living in Bolingbrook, Illinois | 29.21 miles |
| Cost of Living in Naperville, Illinois | 30.13 miles |
| Cost of Living in Schaumburg, Illinois | 30.60 miles |