Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Washington, DC 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Washington, DC is 0.4% higher than in Chicago, IL (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Washington, DC is 7.4% higher than in Chicago, IL | |
| Rent Prices in Washington, DC are 18.2% higher than in Chicago, IL | |
| Restaurant Prices in Washington, DC are 0.5% higher than in Chicago, IL | |
| Groceries Prices in Washington, DC are 8.3% lower than in Chicago, IL | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Washington, DC is 10.6% higher than in Chicago, IL | |
Restaurants | Chicago, IL Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 25.00 $ | 25.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 100.00 $ | 100.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 12.00 $ | 12.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 8.00 $ | 8.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 8.00 $ | 9.00 $ | +12.5 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.20 $ | 5.46 $ | +5.1 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.99 $ | 2.46 $ | -17.7 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.42 $ | 2.22 $ | -8.3 % |
Markets | Chicago, IL Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 4.06 $ | 4.20 $ | +3.6 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.81 $ | 3.72 $ | -2.4 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.85 $ | 2.16 $ | -24.2 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 4.07 $ | 3.72 $ | -8.7 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 7.52 $ | 6.43 $ | -14.5 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.78 $ | 5.76 $ | -15.0 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 9.46 $ | 7.79 $ | -17.6 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.70 $ | 2.36 $ | -12.4 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.89 $ | 0.90 $ | +0.7 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.10 $ | 2.28 $ | +8.5 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.24 $ | 2.54 $ | +13.6 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.19 $ | 1.50 $ | +25.7 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.35 $ | 1.44 $ | +6.8 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.25 $ | 2.63 $ | +16.9 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.62 $ | 2.57 $ | -2.0 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 15.00 $ | 16.00 $ | +6.6 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.43 $ | 2.55 $ | +4.8 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 4.31 $ | 4.51 $ | +4.6 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 16.00 $ | 12.11 $ | -24.3 % |
Transportation | Chicago, IL Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.50 $ | 2.50 $ | 0.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 80.00 $ | 77.50 $ | -3.1 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.25 $ | 3.50 $ | +7.7 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 2.25 $ | 4.00 $ | +77.8 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 25.00 $ | 30.00 $ | +20.0 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 4.22 $ | 3.65 $ | -13.5 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 37,383.69 $ | 35,699.74 $ | -4.5 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 27,211.87 $ | 26,275.78 $ | -3.4 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Chicago, IL Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 160.77 $ | 175.55 $ | +9.2 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 55.33 $ | 58.00 $ | +4.8 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 57.48 $ | 64.87 $ | +12.9 % |
Sports And Leisure | Chicago, IL Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 76.63 $ | 107.50 $ | +40.3 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 13.00 $ | 31.22 $ | +140.1 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 15.00 $ | 15.00 $ | 0.0 % |
Childcare | Chicago, IL Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,308.33 $ | 2,285.75 $ | -1.0 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 45,450.00 $ | 48,250.00 $ | +6.2 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Chicago, IL Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 60.46 $ | 71.85 $ | +18.8 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 53.75 $ | 49.74 $ | -7.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 97.19 $ | 113.55 $ | +16.8 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 130.31 $ | 173.48 $ | +33.1 % |
Rent Per Month | Chicago, IL Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,432.29 $ | 2,496.43 $ | +2.6 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,517.89 $ | 2,039.42 $ | +34.4 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,604.17 $ | 5,386.84 $ | +17.0 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,991.30 $ | 3,725.00 $ | +24.5 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Chicago, IL Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 330.00 $ | 841.88 $ | +155.1 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 258.01 $ | 582.34 $ | +125.7 % |
Salaries And Financing | Chicago, IL Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 4,988.20 $ | 5,921.09 $ | +18.7 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.64 | 6.54 | -1.6 % |
| Last update: | May 2024 | May 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 228 | 141 |
Moving to Chicago, IL? Explore:
Moving to Washington, DC? Explore:
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 |
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 |