Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Evanston, IL: $2,592 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Evanston, IL
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Evanston, IL Living Index
185

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

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Evanston, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,592

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,592 per month in Evanston, IL vs $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Evanston, IL $2,592
Seattle, WA $3,800

A couple spends around $4,449 per month in Evanston, IL vs $5,702 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Evanston, IL $4,449
Seattle, WA $5,702

A family of three spends $6,305 per month in Evanston, IL vs $7,603 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Evanston, IL $6,305
Seattle, WA $7,603

Evanston, IL is about 32% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Evanston, IL and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Evanston, IL by 92%, Seattle, WA by 182%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.26 $21.26

$25.32 $25.32

-16.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 $85.6

$101 $101

-15.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.75 $12.75

$14.85 $14.85

-14.14%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$6.59 $6.59

-13.81%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$3.22 $3.22

-16.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$3.14 $3.14

-27.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 $7.12

$8.18 $8.18

-12.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 $8.19

$8.03 $8.03

1.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.21 $1.21

-14.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.93 $3.93

$5.12 $5.12

-23.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$6.30 $6.30

-31.43%

Eggs

$4.82 $4.82

$4.90 $4.90

-1.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.41 $14.41

$19.10 $19.10

-24.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.93 $14.93

$18.50 $18.50

-19.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 $20.11

$23.03 $23.03

-12.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$5.81 $5.81

-8.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.95 $1.95

-14.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$5.29 $5.29

-23.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$6.48 $6.48

-26.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.57 $3.57

-24.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.15 $3.15

-9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.85 $2.85

-26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.42 $2.42

-2.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.66 $10.66

$12.75 $12.75

-16.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.98 $14.98

$14.99 $14.99

-0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$4.17 $4.17

-38.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 $3.39

$5.99 $5.99

-43.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.04 $3.04

-19.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.2 $75.2

$110 $110

-31.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.55 $2.55

60.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.64 $1.64

-12.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.26 $43.26

$29.58 $29.58

46.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.42 $1.42

-29.58%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$35.7K $35.7K

-1.02%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$25.6K $25.6K

-2.36%

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

$192 $192

$299 $299

-35.82%

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

$61.6 $61.6

$70.8 $70.8

-13.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.2 $72.2

$88.3 $88.3

-18.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.1 $76.1

$79.5 $79.5

-4.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$60.8 $60.8

$35.37 $35.37

71.76%

Cinema Ticket

$14.83 $14.83

$17.12 $17.12

-13.38%

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

$1,516 $1,516

$3,013 $3,013

-49.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

-0.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.7 $64.7

$77.2 $77.2

-16.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$55.1 $55.1

-7.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$126 $126

-14.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$163 $163

-22.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 $1,645

$2,464 $2,464

-33.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 $1,118

$1,956 $1,956

-42.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,989 $3,989

$4,711 $4,711

-15.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,954 $2,954

$3,550 $3,550

-16.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.6K $14.6K

$7,346 $7,346

98.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.8K $12.8K

$5,048 $5,048

153.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,335 $5,335

$6,286 $6,286

-15.14%

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 Evanston, 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

Evanston, IL

$1.1K 43.1%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 75% $838

Groceries & Markets

Evanston, IL

$441 17%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 22.8% $101

Eating Out

Evanston, IL

$348 13.4%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 17.3% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Evanston, IL

$326 12.6%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 40.7% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Evanston, IL

$157 6.1%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 20.3% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Evanston, IL

$106 4.1%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 7.6% $8

Getting Around

Evanston, IL

$96 3.7%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 38.2% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,645 in Evanston, IL versus $2,464 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 18% 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 $86.0 in Evanston, IL versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $441 vs $542 – making Evanston, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Evanston, IL

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

15:33 3:33 PM

13:33 1:33 PM

2 h behind Evanston, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,486

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

Evanston, IL Seattle, WA 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Evanston, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,592 in Evanston, IL, $3,800 in Seattle, WA – roughly 47% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,888 per month in Evanston, IL and $5,701 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 23% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Evanston, IL and $101 in Seattle, WA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,592 in Evanston, IL and $3,800 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,592 in Evanston, IL to $3,800 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Evanston, 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.