Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Evanston, IL and in Spokane, WA: $2,592 and $2,686 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Evanston, IL
Learn more

Evanston, IL Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in Spokane, WA
Learn more

Spokane, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Evanston, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,592

/mo nomad

Spokane, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,686

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,592 per month in Evanston, IL vs $2,686 in Spokane, WA, rent included.

Evanston, IL $2,592
Spokane, WA $2,686

A couple spends around $4,449 per month in Evanston, IL vs $3,973 in Spokane, WA, rent included.

Evanston, IL $4,449
Spokane, WA $3,973

A family of three spends $6,305 per month in Evanston, IL vs $5,261 in Spokane, WA, rent included.

Evanston, IL $6,305
Spokane, WA $5,261

Evanston, IL is about 4% cheaper than Spokane, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Evanston, IL and Spokane, WA sit above the global median – Evanston, IL by 92%, Spokane, WA by 99%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.26 $21.26

$20.31 $20.31

4.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 $85.6

$76.4 $76.4

12.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.75 $12.75

$13.20 $13.20

-3.41%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$5.09 $5.09

11.59%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$2.42 $2.42

10.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.23 $2.23

1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 $7.12

$6.93 $6.93

2.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 $8.19

$5.92 $5.92

38.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$0.99 $0.99

5.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.27 $3.27

20.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.65 $4.65

-7.10%

Eggs

$4.82 $4.82

$5.52 $5.52

-12.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.41 $14.41

$16.21 $16.21

-11.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.93 $14.93

$13.78 $13.78

8.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 $20.11

$16.71 $16.71

20.35%

Apples (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$6.31 $6.31

-15.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.68 $1.68

-0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$5.37 $5.37

-24.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$5.85 $5.85

-18.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.14 $3.14

-14.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.10 $3.10

-8.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.99 $1.99

5.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.81 $1.81

29.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.66 $10.66

$12.26 $12.26

-13.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.98 $14.98

$13.97 $13.97

7.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.81 $1.81

41.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 $3.39

$4.73 $4.73

-28.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.05 $2.05

19.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.2 $75.2

$54.7 $54.7

37.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$4.86 $4.86

-15.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.77 $1.77

-19.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.26 $43.26

$40.79 $40.79

6.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.37 $1.37

-27.01%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$36.6K $36.6K

-3.24%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$25.8K $25.8K

-3.29%

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

$192 $192

$172 $172

11.48%

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

$61.6 $61.6

$75.1 $75.1

-17.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.2 $72.2

$74.0 $74.0

-2.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.1 $76.1

$56.5 $56.5

34.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$60.8 $60.8

$14.89 $14.89

307.99%

Cinema Ticket

$14.83 $14.83

$16.03 $16.03

-7.49%

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

$1,516 $1,516

$1,383 $1,383

9.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$21.5K $21.5K

46.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.7 $64.7

$53.0 $53.0

22.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$50.3 $50.3

1.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$114 $114

-5.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$143 $143

-11.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 $1,645

$1,614 $1,614

1.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 $1,118

$1,274 $1,274

-12.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,989 $3,989

$2,633 $2,633

51.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,954 $2,954

$2,102 $2,102

40.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.6K $14.6K

$3,410 $3,410

327.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.8K $12.8K

$2,311 $2,311

454.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,335 $5,335

$4,253 $4,253

25.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.76

0.15%

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

Last update for Evanston, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Spokane, 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%

Spokane, WA

$1.3K 47.4% 14% $157

Groceries & Markets

Evanston, IL

$441 17%

Spokane, WA

$435 16.2% 1.4% $6.1

Eating Out

Evanston, IL

$348 13.4%

Spokane, WA

$328 12.2% 5.8% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Evanston, IL

$326 12.6%

Spokane, WA

$321 12% 1.4% $4.5

Clothing & Footwear

Evanston, IL

$157 6.1%

Spokane, WA

$162 6% 3.1% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Evanston, IL

$106 4.1%

Spokane, WA

$89 3.3% 16.3% $17

Getting Around

Evanston, IL

$96 3.7%

Spokane, WA

$77 2.9% 20.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,645 in Evanston, IL versus $1,614 in Spokane, 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 25% higher in Evanston, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Evanston, IL versus $76.0 in Spokane, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $441 vs $435 – making Spokane, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Evanston, IL

🇺🇸 Spokane, WA

🕒 Local time

15:33 3:33 PM

13:33 1:33 PM

2 h behind Evanston, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,486

228,989

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Evanston, IL Spokane, WA 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Evanston, IL
Spokane, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,592 in Evanston, IL, $2,686 in Spokane, WA – roughly 4% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,888 per month in Evanston, IL and $4,029 in Spokane, 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Spokane, WA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Evanston, IL and $76.0 in Spokane, 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 $2,686 in Spokane, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Evanston, IL – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Spokane, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.