Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Plaines, IL and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Des Plaines, IL: $3,023 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Des Plaines, IL
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Des Plaines, IL Living Index
185

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

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Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,023

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Des Plaines, 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 Des Plaines, IL and in Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,023 in Des Plaines, IL versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA.

Des Plaines, IL $3,023
Seattle, WA $3,800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,419 in Des Plaines, IL versus $5,702 in Seattle, WA.

Des Plaines, IL $4,419
Seattle, WA $5,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,815 in Des Plaines, IL versus $7,603 in Seattle, WA.

Des Plaines, IL $5,815
Seattle, WA $7,603

Living in Des Plaines, IL costs roughly 20% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Des Plaines, IL 124% above, Seattle, WA 182% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.29 $21.29

$25.32 $25.32

-15.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.1 $89.1

$101 $101

-12.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.10 $13.10

$14.85 $14.85

-11.78%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$6.59 $6.59

-13.81%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$3.22 $3.22

-18.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.14 $3.14

-28.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.05 $7.05

$8.18 $8.18

-13.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 $8.22

$8.03 $8.03

2.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.21 $1.21

-23.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 $3.40

$5.12 $5.12

-33.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$6.30 $6.30

-33.33%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$4.90 $4.90

-13.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.74 $14.74

$19.10 $19.10

-22.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.04 $13.04

$18.50 $18.50

-29.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.82 $18.82

$23.03 $23.03

-18.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$5.81 $5.81

-20.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.95 $1.95

-14.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$5.29 $5.29

-21.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$6.48 $6.48

-24.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.57 $3.57

-24.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.15 $3.15

-13.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.85 $2.85

-26.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.42 $2.42

1.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.90 $10.90

$12.75 $12.75

-14.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.97 $14.97

$14.99 $14.99

-0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$4.17 $4.17

-38.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 $3.35

$5.99 $5.99

-44.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.04 $3.04

-35.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.0 $60.0

$110 $110

-45.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.55 $2.55

29.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.64 $1.64

-17.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.88 $24.88

$29.58 $29.58

-15.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.42 $1.42

-30.28%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$35.7K $35.7K

1.11%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.6K $25.6K

0.71%

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

$192 $192

$299 $299

-35.79%

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

$59.2 $59.2

$70.8 $70.8

-16.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.0 $76.0

$88.3 $88.3

-13.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$79.5 $79.5

54.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.32 $39.32

$35.37 $35.37

11.17%

Cinema Ticket

$14.72 $14.72

$17.12 $17.12

-14.02%

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

$1,563 $1,563

$3,013 $3,013

-48.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$31.6K $31.6K

-25.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.9 $64.9

$77.2 $77.2

-15.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$55.1 $55.1

-7.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$126 $126

-19.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$163 $163

-26.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 $2,084

$2,464 $2,464

-15.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 $1,548

$1,956 $1,956

-20.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,937 $3,937

$4,711 $4,711

-16.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 $2,485

$3,550 $3,550

-30.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,279 $3,279

$7,346 $7,346

-55.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,480 $2,480

$5,048 $5,048

-50.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,121 $6,121

$6,286 $6,286

-2.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.85

-1.17%

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

Last update for Des Plaines, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Des Plaines, IL

$1.5K 51.2%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 26.4% $408

Groceries & Markets

Des Plaines, IL

$418 13.8%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 29.6% $124

Eating Out

Des Plaines, IL

$349 11.5%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 17.1% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Des Plaines, IL

$327 10.8%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 40% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Des Plaines, IL

$152 5%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 25.3% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Des Plaines, IL

$151 5%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 25.1% $38

Getting Around

Des Plaines, IL

$78 2.6%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 70.7% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,084 in Des Plaines, IL and $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $418 vs $542 per month, with Des Plaines, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

16:26 4:26 PM

14:26 2:26 PM

2 h behind Des Plaines, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,675

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

Des Plaines, IL Seattle, WA 2,760 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Des Plaines, 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

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

Des Plaines, IL and Seattle, WA differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($3,023 vs $3,800 including rent). Des Plaines, IL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Seattle, WA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,084 in Des Plaines, IL versus $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Des Plaines, IL – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Des Plaines, IL is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Des Plaines, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.