Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barrington, IL and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Barrington, IL: $2,677 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Barrington, IL
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Barrington, IL Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Barrington, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,677

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barrington, IL and in Seattle, WA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barrington, IL and in Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,677 per month in Barrington, IL vs $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Barrington, IL $2,677
Seattle, WA $3,782

A couple spends around $4,008 per month in Barrington, IL vs $5,636 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Barrington, IL $4,008
Seattle, WA $5,636

A family of three spends $5,339 per month in Barrington, IL vs $7,489 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Barrington, IL $5,339
Seattle, WA $7,489

Barrington, IL is about 29% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Barrington, IL and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Barrington, IL by 98%, Seattle, WA by 179%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.21 $20.21

$24.52 $24.52

-17.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 $74.5

$98.2 $98.2

-24.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 $11.36

$14.79 $14.79

-23.19%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$6.52 $6.52

-19.63%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$3.23 $3.23

-19.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.17 $3.17

-35.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.99 $5.99

$7.85 $7.85

-23.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 $7.14

$8.03 $8.03

-11.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.21 $1.21

-4.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 $3.79

$5.14 $5.14

-26.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$6.05 $6.05

-28.43%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$4.88 $4.88

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.24 $15.24

$19.18 $19.18

-20.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.09 $11.09

$18.91 $18.91

-41.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.23 $17.23

$23.31 $23.31

-26.08%

Apples (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$5.99 $5.99

-3.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.93 $1.93

2.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$5.25 $5.25

-12.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$6.57 $6.57

2.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.62 $3.62

-24.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$3.31 $3.31

-34.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.78 $2.78

-12.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.51 $2.51

-9.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.15 $10.15

$12.18 $12.18

-16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.22 $17.22

$14.83 $14.83

16.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$4.22 $4.22

-55.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$5.77 $5.77

-40.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.95 $2.95

-33.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 $117

$106 $106

9.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.65 $2.65

29.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.72 $1.72

-8.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.06 $33.06

$29.72 $29.72

11.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.49 $1.49

-21.48%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.8K $27.8K

$35.9K $35.9K

-22.64%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.12%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$230 $230

$302 $302

-23.71%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$48.44 $48.44

$70.1 $70.1

-30.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 $59.0

$85.3 $85.3

-30.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 $67.2

$77.8 $77.8

-13.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.27 $15.27

$34.58 $34.58

-55.84%

Cinema Ticket

$14.61 $14.61

$17.84 $17.84

-18.11%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,481 $1,481

$2,973 $2,973

-50.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.6K $27.6K

$31.3K $31.3K

-11.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$76.6 $76.6

-31.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.21 $41.21

$54.1 $54.1

-23.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 $89.8

$128 $128

-29.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$164 $164

-31.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 $1,604

$2,445 $2,445

-34.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 $1,222

$1,947 $1,947

-37.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$4,744 $4,744

-46.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,167 $2,167

$3,469 $3,469

-37.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,376 $2,376

$7,367 $7,367

-67.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,187 $2,187

$5,127 $5,127

-57.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,760 $5,760

$6,506 $6,506

-11.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.89

-4.64%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barrington, IL: October 20, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barrington, IL

$1.2K 45.7%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 59.3% $724

Groceries & Markets

Barrington, IL

$430 16.1%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 27% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barrington, IL

$338 12.6%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 35.4% $119

Eating Out

Barrington, IL

$322 12%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 24.3% $78

Getting Around

Barrington, IL

$136 5.1%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 4.7% $6.4

Clothing & Footwear

Barrington, IL

$133 5%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 43% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Barrington, IL

$96 3.6%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 17.7% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,604 in Barrington, IL versus $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 13% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Barrington, IL versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $430 vs $546 – making Barrington, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Barrington, IL

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

19:34 7:34 PM

2 h behind Barrington, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,772

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Barrington, IL Seattle, WA 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Barrington, IL
Seattle, WA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Barrington, IL vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 41% more than Barrington, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,015 per month in Barrington, IL and $5,673 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Barrington, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Barrington, IL. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,481 per month in Barrington, IL and $2,973 in Seattle, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,677 in Barrington, IL and $3,782 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Barrington, IL costs $2,677 versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Barrington, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.