Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Alton, IL: $1,910 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Alton, IL
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Alton, IL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Alton, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,910

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Alton, IL

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

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $1,910 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Alton, IL $1,910

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,881 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Alton, IL $2,881

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,852 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Alton, IL $3,852

Seattle, WA costs about 98% more than Alton, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Alton, IL sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Alton, IL by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$21.04 $21.04

20.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$55.0 $55.0

83.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.83 $10.83

36.29%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.90 $4.90

32.65%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$1.46 $1.46

119.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.75 $1.75

79.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.12 $4.12

93.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.04 $6.04

34.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.75 $0.75

56.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.50 $2.50

112.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.17 $3.17

101.89%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.19 $3.19

58.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$9.53 $9.53

96.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$6.70 $6.70

179.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$24.15 $24.15

-5.26%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.47 $4.47

35.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.23 $1.23

58.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.15 $5.15

6.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.91 $4.91

32.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.16 $2.16

61.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.83 $2.83

16.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.08 $2.08

34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.14 $2.14

20.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.90 $10.90

14.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$12.13 $12.13

22.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.81 $1.81

131.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.64 $2.64

119.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.95 $2.95

-12.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.67 $1.67

-1.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.99 $0.99

42.42%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.4K $27.4K

34.48%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.9K $26.9K

-1.02%

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

$308 $308

$338 $338

-9.11%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$44.08 $44.08

56.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$76.4 $76.4

12.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$27.65 $27.65

176.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$12.15 $12.15

48.31%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$280 $280

880.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$39.41 $39.41

100.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$42.27 $42.27

28.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$65.2 $65.2

94.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$74.8 $74.8

112.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$740 $740

239.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$631 $631

207.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,107 $1,107

362.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,281 $1,281

176.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$1,534 $1,534

380.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,426 $1,426

250.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,767 $3,767

71.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

14.83%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Alton, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Alton, IL

$631 33% 67.5% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Alton, IL

$352 18.4% 35.6% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Alton, IL

$459 24% 0.8% $3.9

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Alton, IL

$305 16% 24.9% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Alton, IL

$100 5.2% 47.1% $89

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Alton, IL

$11 * 0.6% 91.2% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Alton, IL

$52 2.7% 53.8% $61

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $740 in Alton, 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 72% 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 $101 in Seattle, WA versus $55 in Alton, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $352 – making Alton, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Alton, IL

🕒 Local time

11:31 11:31 AM

13:31 1:31 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

25,676

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Alton, IL 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Alton, 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

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

Seattle, WA costs about 98% more than Alton, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $2,865 in Alton, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alton, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $740 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $1,910 in Alton, IL. That makes Alton, IL about 50% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,746 per month in Seattle, WA and $280 in Alton, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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

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