Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Berwyn, IL: $2,449 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Berwyn, IL
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Berwyn, IL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Berwyn, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,449

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,449 in Berwyn, IL.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Berwyn, IL $2,449

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,655 in Berwyn, IL.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Berwyn, IL $3,655

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,860 in Berwyn, IL.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Berwyn, IL $4,860

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 54% more expensive than in Berwyn, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Berwyn, IL 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$19.67 $19.67

24.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$74.7 $74.7

31.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$9.83 $9.83

50.46%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.04 $5.04

29.37%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.58 $2.58

25.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.97 $1.97

60.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.09 $6.09

28.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.09 $7.09

13.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.83 $0.83

45.78%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.60 $3.60

42.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$5.30 $5.30

14.15%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.69 $4.69

4.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$10.01 $10.01

91.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$13.92 $13.92

35.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$16.75 $16.75

39.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.04 $5.04

18.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.50 $1.50

28.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.91 $3.91

34.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.00 $5.00

31.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.59 $2.59

39.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.58 $2.58

28.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.14 $2.14

29.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.39 $2.39

5.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.95 $10.95

11.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.16 $15.16

-2.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.96 $1.96

115.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.49 $3.49

65.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.76 $1.76

67.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.85 $2.85

-7.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.37 $1.37

25.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$21.24 $21.24

39.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.24 $1.24

20.16%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$33.9K $33.9K

5.85%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.9K $25.9K

1.40%

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

$302 $302

$195 $195

54.75%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$68.7 $68.7

2.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$61.2 $61.2

39.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$43.38 $43.38

79.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$13.97 $13.97

27.70%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,693 $1,693

75.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$24.3K $24.3K

28.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$54.4 $54.4

40.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$40.43 $40.43

33.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$94.9 $94.9

35.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$115 $115

42.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,401 $1,401

74.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,183 $1,183

64.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,623 $2,623

80.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,052 $2,052

69.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,341 $2,341

214.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,156 $2,156

137.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.65

3.61%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Berwyn, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Berwyn, IL

$1.2K 48.3% 39.3% $764

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Berwyn, IL

$406 16.6% 25.5% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Berwyn, IL

$325 13.3% 28.9% $132

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Berwyn, IL

$310 12.7% 22.4% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Berwyn, IL

$137 5.6% 27.9% $53

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Berwyn, IL

$17 * 0.7% 87% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Berwyn, IL

$71 2.9% 37.2% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,401 in Berwyn, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $75.0 in Berwyn, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $406 per month, with Berwyn, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Berwyn, IL

🕒 Local time

20:56 8:56 PM

22:56 10:56 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

57,250

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

From you

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

Berwyn, IL is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,673 in Seattle, WA and $3,674 in Berwyn, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,401 in Berwyn, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $1,693 in Berwyn, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Berwyn, IL – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,449 in Berwyn, IL versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Berwyn, IL but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Berwyn, IL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Berwyn, IL is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Berwyn, IL are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Berwyn, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.