Cost of Living Comparison Between Washington, DC and Chicago, IL 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in Chicago, IL are 1.2% lower than in Washington, DC (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in Chicago, IL are 7.5% lower than in Washington, DC | |
| Rent Prices in Chicago, IL are 15.8% lower than in Washington, DC | |
| Restaurant Prices in Chicago, IL are 0.5% lower than in Washington, DC | |
| Groceries Prices in Chicago, IL are 8.3% higher than in Washington, DC | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Chicago, IL is 9.1% lower than in Washington, DC | |
Restaurants | Washington, DC Edit |
Chicago, IL 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) | 9.00 $ | 8.00 $ | -11.1 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.48 $ | 5.19 $ | -5.3 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.48 $ | 2.99 $ | +20.5 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.25 $ | 2.39 $ | +6.2 % |
Markets | Washington, DC Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 4.27 $ | 4.04 $ | -5.3 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.52 $ | 3.84 $ | +9.0 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.32 $ | 2.85 $ | +23.0 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 3.95 $ | 4.07 $ | +3.2 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 6.40 $ | 7.52 $ | +17.4 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 5.74 $ | 6.74 $ | +17.4 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 7.97 $ | 9.46 $ | +18.8 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.34 $ | 2.70 $ | +15.1 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.93 $ | 0.89 $ | -4.2 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.28 $ | 2.10 $ | -8.0 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.56 $ | 2.24 $ | -12.6 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.57 $ | 1.19 $ | -23.9 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.54 $ | 1.35 $ | -12.6 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.78 $ | 2.25 $ | -19.1 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.67 $ | 2.62 $ | -1.8 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 16.00 $ | 15.00 $ | -6.2 % |
| 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) | 2.50 $ | 2.50 $ | 0.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 80.00 $ | 80.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.50 $ | 3.25 $ | -7.1 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 3.51 $ | 2.25 $ | -35.9 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 30.00 $ | 25.00 $ | -16.7 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 3.64 $ | 4.21 $ | +15.9 % |
| 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) | 26,275.78 $ | 27,211.87 $ | +3.6 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Washington, DC Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 171.50 $ | 157.44 $ | -8.2 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 58.82 $ | 54.48 $ | -7.4 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 63.57 $ | 57.38 $ | -9.7 % |
Sports And Leisure | Washington, DC Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 104.29 $ | 78.67 $ | -24.6 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 31.22 $ | 6.25 $ | -80.0 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 16.68 $ | 15.00 $ | -10.1 % |
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) | 73.41 $ | 60.46 $ | -17.6 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 50.96 $ | 53.75 $ | +5.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 115.93 $ | 97.19 $ | -16.2 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 173.48 $ | 128.06 $ | -26.2 % |
Rent Per Month | Washington, DC Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,519.32 $ | 2,446.74 $ | -2.9 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,058.28 $ | 1,507.04 $ | -26.8 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 5,360.53 $ | 4,608.70 $ | -14.0 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 3,754.41 $ | 2,963.64 $ | -21.1 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Washington, DC Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 910.84 $ | 334.28 $ | -63.3 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 625.87 $ | 260.01 $ | -58.5 % |
Salaries And Financing | Washington, DC Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 6,033.45 $ | 5,073.92 $ | -15.9 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.55 | 6.64 | +1.3 % |
| Last update: | May 2024 | May 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 137 | 220 |
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 |