✦ Compare
Chicago vs
Washington
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
To keep the same standard of living in Washington, DC, you'd need
$87,091 / year
Washington, DC is 16% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (Washington, DC vs Chicago, IL)
- Housing+37%
- Food & groceries+5%
- Transport+3%
- Utilities+4%
- Healthcare-2%
- Goods & services+9%
Median 1-bed rent
$1,900 /mo
Chicago, IL overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$2,300 /mo
Washington, DC overview →
▤ Full comparison
| Chicago, IL | Washington, DC | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 113 | 132 |
| Housing | 128 | 175 |
| Food | 105 | 110 |
| Transport | 112 | 115 |
| Utilities | 100 | 104 |
| Healthcare | 108 | 106 |
| Goods & services | 108 | 118 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $1,900/mo | $2,300/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,450/mo | $1,800/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $3,600/mo | $4,500/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $5,500 | $8,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $881 | $759 |
| Inexpensive meal | $18 | $20 |
| Monthly transit pass | $105 | $100 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 37% | 37% |
| VAT / sales tax | 0% | 0% |
| Social security (employee) | 7.7% | 7.7% |
| Corporate tax | 21% | 21% |
| Capital gains | 20% | 20% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $4,300/mo | $4,300/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,257/mo | $1,257/mo |
| GDP per capita | $82,000 | $82,000 |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | Native | Native |
| Coworking spaces | 90 | 80 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 | UTC-5 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 48 | 50 |
| Healthcare index | 80 | 80 |
| Pollution index | 45 | 40 |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | 200 Mbps |
| Walkability | 78 | 77 |
| Public transport | 78 | 72 |
| Family-friendly | 60 | 62 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | $450/mo | $470/mo |
| Life expectancy | 79 yr | 79 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | -4 °C | +2 °C |
| July avg | +24 °C | +27 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 189 | 203 |
| Rainfall / year | 950 mm | 1,000 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs United States. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
? Frequently asked questions
Is Chicago cheaper than Washington?
Washington is about 16% more expensive than Chicago overall — its cost-of-living index is 132 versus 113 for Chicago.
How much do you need to earn in Washington to live like in Chicago?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Chicago is worth about $87,091 in Washington. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Chicago or Washington?
Both cities are in the same country, so national income tax (37%) and VAT are identical; only local cost of living differs.
◷ More comparisons from Chicago
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.