✦ Compare
Washington vs
Chicago
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 Chicago, IL, you'd need
$64,587 / year
Chicago, IL is 14% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Chicago, IL vs Washington, DC)
- Housing-27%
- Food & groceries-5%
- Transport-3%
- Utilities-4%
- Healthcare+2%
- Goods & services-8%
Median 1-bed rent
$2,300 /mo
Washington, DC overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$1,900 /mo
Chicago, IL overview →
▤ Full comparison
| Washington, DC | Chicago, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 132 | 113 |
| Housing | 175 | 128 |
| Food | 110 | 105 |
| Transport | 115 | 112 |
| Utilities | 104 | 100 |
| Healthcare | 106 | 108 |
| Goods & services | 118 | 108 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $2,300/mo | $1,900/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,800/mo | $1,450/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $4,500/mo | $3,600/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $8,500 | $5,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $759 | $881 |
| Inexpensive meal | $20 | $18 |
| Monthly transit pass | $100 | $105 |
| 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 | 80 | 90 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 | UTC-6 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 50 | 48 |
| Healthcare index | 80 | 80 |
| Pollution index | 40 | 45 |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | 200 Mbps |
| Walkability | 77 | 78 |
| Public transport | 72 | 78 |
| Family-friendly | 62 | 60 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | $470/mo | $450/mo |
| Life expectancy | 79 yr | 79 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +2 °C | -4 °C |
| July avg | +27 °C | +24 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 203 | 189 |
| Rainfall / year | 1,000 mm | 950 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 Washington cheaper than Chicago?
Chicago is about 14% cheaper than Washington overall — its cost-of-living index is 113 versus 132 for Washington.
How much do you need to earn in Chicago to live like in Washington?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Washington is worth about $64,587 in Chicago. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Washington or Chicago?
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 Washington
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.