Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Geneva, IL: $2,350 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

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

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

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Geneva, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,350

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,350 per month in Geneva, IL vs $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Geneva, IL $2,350
Seattle, WA $3,782

A couple spends around $3,481 per month in Geneva, IL vs $5,636 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Geneva, IL $3,481
Seattle, WA $5,636

A family of three spends $4,612 per month in Geneva, IL vs $7,489 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Geneva, IL $4,612
Seattle, WA $7,489

Geneva, IL is about 38% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Geneva, IL and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Geneva, IL by 73%, Seattle, WA by 179%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.21 $14.21

$24.52 $24.52

-42.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 $68.2

$98.2 $98.2

-30.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.13 $12.13

$14.79 $14.79

-17.99%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$6.52 $6.52

-17.48%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$3.23 $3.23

-6.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$3.17 $3.17

-27.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 $6.15

$7.85 $7.85

-21.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 $8.01

$8.03 $8.03

-0.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.21 $1.21

-35.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 $2.74

$5.14 $5.14

-46.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$6.05 $6.05

-51.74%

Eggs

$3.44 $3.44

$4.88 $4.88

-29.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.63 $7.63

$19.18 $19.18

-60.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.55 $11.55

$18.91 $18.91

-38.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.52 $10.52

$23.31 $23.31

-54.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.99 $5.99

-21.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.93 $1.93

-14.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$5.25 $5.25

-31.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$6.57 $6.57

-26.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.62 $3.62

-50.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.31 $3.31

-10.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.78 $2.78

-42.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.51 $2.51

-3.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.69 $10.69

$12.18 $12.18

-12.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 $8.08

$14.83 $14.83

-45.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$4.22 $4.22

-57.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 $4.47

$5.77 $5.77

-22.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.95 $2.95

-25.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.65 $2.65

54.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.72 $1.72

16.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.12 $44.12

$29.72 $29.72

48.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.49 $1.49

-26.85%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$35.9K $35.9K

-30.85%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.2K $26.2K

-1.27%

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

$176 $176

$302 $302

-41.80%

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

$52.6 $52.6

$70.1 $70.1

-25.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 $67.1

$85.3 $85.3

-21.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.52 $35.52

$77.8 $77.8

-54.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$11.86 $11.86

$17.84 $17.84

-33.52%

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

$1,528 $1,528

$2,973 $2,973

-48.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$31.3K $31.3K

-23.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 $55.6

$76.6 $76.6

-27.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$54.1 $54.1

-6.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 $88.3

$128 $128

-31.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$164 $164

-25.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,820 $1,820

$2,445 $2,445

-25.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 $1,221

$1,947 $1,947

-37.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,229 $2,229

$4,744 $4,744

-53.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,128 $2,128

$3,469 $3,469

-38.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,121 $3,121

$7,367 $7,367

-57.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,190 $2,190

$5,127 $5,127

-57.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

6.89

-6.68%

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

Last update for Geneva, IL: October 17, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Geneva, IL

$1.2K 52%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 59.5% $726

Groceries & Markets

Geneva, IL

$326 13.9%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 67.5% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Geneva, IL

$295 12.6%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 54.8% $162

Eating Out

Geneva, IL

$283 12%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 41.4% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Geneva, IL

$143 6.1%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 33.4% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Geneva, IL

$59 2.5%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 91.6% $54

Getting Around

Geneva, IL

$23 * 1%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 463% $106

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,820 in Geneva, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Geneva, IL versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $546 – making Geneva, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Geneva, IL

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

20:50 8:50 PM

18:50 6:50 PM

2 h behind Geneva, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,812

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Geneva, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,350 in Geneva, IL, $3,782 in Seattle, WA – roughly 61% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,524 per month in Geneva, 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 Geneva, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,350 in Geneva, IL and $3,782 in Seattle, WA. That's a gap of about 61%.

Kindergarten costs $1,528 per month in Geneva, 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.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,350 in Geneva, IL and $3,782 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 $2,350 in Geneva, IL to $3,782 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 Geneva, 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.