Cost of Living: Washington, DC vs Chicago, IL
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,994/mo in Washington, DC versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 27.69% of gross in Washington, DC versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Chicago, IL tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Washington, DC and Chicago, IL.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Chicago, IL
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Chicago, IL
- Lower home prices: Chicago, IL
- Higher median household income: Washington, DC
Cost of Living Index
Washington, DC: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)
Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than Washington, DC, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Washington, DC: $1,805/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo
Median rent in Washington, DC is $482/mo higher than in Chicago, IL.
Median Home Price
Washington, DC: $724,600 · Chicago, IL: $147,800
Median home price in Washington, DC is $576,800 higher than in Chicago, IL.
Median Household Income
Washington, DC: $106,287 · Chicago, IL: $56,815
Washington, DC has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $49,472.
Washington, DC overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons