Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between SeaTac, WA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,170 in SeaTac, WA, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in SeaTac, WA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

154

Cost of Living Index in SeaTac, WA
Learn more

SeaTac, WA Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

SeaTac, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,170

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in SeaTac, WA and in Chicago, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in SeaTac, WA and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,170 per month in SeaTac, WA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

SeaTac, WA $3,170
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,514 per month in SeaTac, WA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

SeaTac, WA $4,514
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,857 per month in SeaTac, WA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

SeaTac, WA $5,857
Chicago, IL $5,999

SeaTac, WA costs about 4% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both SeaTac, WA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – SeaTac, WA by 133%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.05 $25.05

$20.71 $20.71

20.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$89.2 $89.2

-11.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$13.19 $13.19

-7.35%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$5.66 $5.66

0.35%

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

$3.14 $3.14

$2.64 $2.64

18.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.28 $2.28

-8.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 $3.93

$6.87 $6.87

-42.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 $6.04

$8.84 $8.84

-31.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.25 $1.25

-8.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.21 $4.21

$3.72 $3.72

13.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$5.39 $5.39

-37.11%

Eggs

$7.20 $7.20

$4.74 $4.74

51.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.94 $14.94

$13.84 $13.84

7.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$14.40 $14.40

-3.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.97 $17.97

$18.38 $18.38

-2.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$5.22 $5.22

7.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.98 $1.98

-12.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$4.06 $4.06

2.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$4.97 $4.97

-6.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.67 $2.67

-16.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.66 $2.66

10.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.24 $2.24

-21.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.13 $3.13

1.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.19 $12.19

$13.82 $13.82

-11.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 $18.20

$14.88 $14.88

22.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.54 $2.54

-33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.51 $3.51

-41.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.43 $2.43

10.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.9 $88.9

$73.5 $73.5

20.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 $2.56

$3.18 $3.18

-19.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.39 $1.39

22.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.54 $29.54

$25.03 $25.03

18.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.20 $1.20

20.83%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-18.37%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

1.51%

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

$232 $232

$194 $194

19.40%

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

$63.6 $63.6

$69.5 $69.5

-8.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.6 $84.6

$61.6 $61.6

37.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.33 $34.33

$47.90 $47.90

-28.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.73 $19.73

$27.34 $27.34

-27.83%

Cinema Ticket

$17.36 $17.36

$17.81 $17.81

-2.53%

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

$2,083 $2,083

$1,794 $1,794

16.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$31.9K $31.9K

-0.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.65 $48.65

$67.0 $67.0

-27.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.60 $22.60

$52.1 $52.1

-56.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.7 $62.7

$102 $102

-38.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.68 $45.68

$144 $144

-68.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,208 $2,208

$2,526 $2,526

-12.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,722 $1,722

$1,578 $1,578

9.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,873 $3,873

$4,738 $4,738

-18.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,683 $2,683

$2,693 $2,693

-0.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,064 $4,064

$4,190 $4,190

-2.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,821 $3,821

$2,768 $2,768

38.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,075 $6,075

$4,931 $4,931

23.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.81

-3.82%

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

Last update for SeaTac, WA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

SeaTac, WA

$1.7K 54.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 8.4% $144

Groceries & Markets

SeaTac, WA

$449 14.2%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 0.4% $1.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

SeaTac, WA

$380 12%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 14.4% $55

Eating Out

SeaTac, WA

$358 11.3%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 3.6% $13

Getting Around

SeaTac, WA

$111 3.5%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 15.7% $17

Clothing & Footwear

SeaTac, WA

$81 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 103% $83

Sport & Entertainment

SeaTac, WA

$69 2.2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 21% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,208 in SeaTac, WA versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. 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 23% higher in SeaTac, WA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in SeaTac, WA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $449 in SeaTac, WA vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 SeaTac, WA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

02:08 2:08 AM

04:08 4:08 AM

2 h ahead of SeaTac, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,454

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

SeaTac, WA Chicago, IL 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

SeaTac, WA
Chicago, IL

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

SeaTac, WA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,170 in SeaTac, WA, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 4% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,755 per month in SeaTac, WA and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in SeaTac, WA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,208 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in SeaTac, WA and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 17% less in Chicago, IL. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,170 in SeaTac, WA and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $3,170 in SeaTac, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chicago, IL. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, SeaTac, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.