Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Elgin, IL: $1,057 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $32,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

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

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

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Elgin, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,057

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,057 in Elgin, IL versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Elgin, IL $1,057
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,633 in Elgin, IL versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Elgin, IL $2,633
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,209 in Elgin, IL versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Elgin, IL $4,209
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Elgin, IL costs roughly 72% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Elgin, IL is 22% below, Seattle, WA is 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$25.30 $25.30

-19.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 $59.1

$101 $101

-41.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 $9.94

$14.76 $14.76

-32.66%

Cappuccino

$4.08 $4.08

$6.50 $6.50

-37.23%

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

$3.06 $3.06

$3.21 $3.21

-4.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.14 $3.14

-35.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$7.97 $7.97

-24.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 $4.88

$8.13 $8.13

-39.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.17 $1.17

-25.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$5.30 $5.30

-33.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$6.40 $6.40

-35.16%

Eggs

$3.64 $3.64

$5.06 $5.06

-28.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.13 $11.13

$18.71 $18.71

-40.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.06 $13.06

$18.72 $18.72

-30.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 $11.98

$22.88 $22.88

-47.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$6.06 $6.06

-26.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.95 $1.95

-31.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$5.51 $5.51

-54.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$6.52 $6.52

-38.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$3.49 $3.49

-42.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$3.29 $3.29

-38.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.80 $2.80

-36.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.58 $2.58

-6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.58 $10.58

$12.49 $12.49

-15.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.75 $15.75

$14.87 $14.87

5.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$4.19 $4.19

-35.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 $3.54

$5.80 $5.80

-38.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.58 $2.58

56.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.64 $1.64

24.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.57 $27.57

$30.12 $30.12

-8.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.41 $1.41

-26.24%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$36.8K $36.8K

-15.28%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

-3.01%

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

$98.8 $98.8

$308 $308

-67.88%

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

$53.3 $53.3

$69.2 $69.2

-23.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.92 $49.92

$86.1 $86.1

-41.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$15.10 $15.10

$18.02 $18.02

-16.20%

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

$1,656 $1,656

$2,746 $2,746

-39.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K $23.4K

$30.6K $30.6K

-23.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.64 $40.64

$79.2 $79.2

-48.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 $50.3

$54.3 $54.3

-7.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 $99.6

$127 $127

-21.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$159 $159

-24.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 $2,162

$5,117 $5,117

-57.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,820 $1,820

$3,542 $3,542

-48.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,201 $2,201

$7,374 $7,374

-70.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,268 $2,268

$5,002 $5,002

-54.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,966 $3,966

$6,470 $6,470

-38.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.89

-2.90%

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

Last update for Elgin, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Elgin, IL

$368 34.9%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 48.4% $179

Eating Out

Elgin, IL

$302 28.6%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 34.6% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elgin, IL

$202 19.1%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 129% $261

Clothing & Footwear

Elgin, IL

$140 13.2%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 35% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Elgin, IL

$30 * 2.9%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 273% $82

Getting Around

Elgin, IL

$14 * 1.4%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 804% $115

Accommodation & Living

Elgin, IL

- * 0%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Seattle, WA pays 63% 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: $59 in Elgin, IL vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $547 per month, with Elgin, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elgin, IL

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

06:55 6:55 AM

04:55 4:55 AM

2 h behind Elgin, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

112,603

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Elgin, IL Seattle, WA 2,730 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

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Elgin, IL
Seattle, WA

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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

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

Elgin, IL is about 72% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Elgin, IL. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $1,656 in Elgin, IL versus $2,746 in Seattle, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Elgin, IL – a meal for two runs $59 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,057 in Elgin, IL versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elgin, IL but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Elgin, IL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Elgin, IL wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.