Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,185 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Chicago, IL $6,077

Seattle, WA costs about 19% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$21.58 $21.58

17.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$88.7 $88.7

14.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$13.20 $13.20

12.50%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.59 $5.59

17.89%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.63 $2.63

22.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.26 $2.26

38.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$7.11 $7.11

15.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$9.23 $9.23

-13.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.28 $1.28

-5.47%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.84 $3.84

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$5.07 $5.07

24.26%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$4.84 $4.84

1.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$14.17 $14.17

34.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$14.61 $14.61

26.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$18.76 $18.76

22.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$5.19 $5.19

11.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.00 $2.00

-2.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.00 $4.00

32.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$4.98 $4.98

30.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.79 $2.79

27.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.65 $2.65

18.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.13 $2.13

33.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.09 $3.09

-21.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$16.05 $16.05

-20.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$15.20 $15.20

-1.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.62 $2.62

59.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.46 $3.46

73.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.47 $2.47

23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$75.1 $75.1

46.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.21 $3.21

-20.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.39 $1.39

17.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$25.02 $25.02

18.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.24 $1.24

14.52%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$37.2K $37.2K

-3.86%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.8K $25.8K

-1.02%

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

$299 $299

$192 $192

55.51%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$67.8 $67.8

4.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$60.9 $60.9

45.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$53.6 $53.6

48.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$27.90 $27.90

26.77%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$17.80 $17.80

-3.82%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$1,554 $1,554

93.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$31.4K $31.4K

0.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$67.9 $67.9

13.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$50.8 $50.8

8.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$101 $101

23.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$143 $143

13.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$2,383 $2,383

3.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$1,712 $1,712

14.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$4,674 $4,674

0.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$2,738 $2,738

29.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$4,158 $4,158

76.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$2,691 $2,691

87.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$4,894 $4,894

28.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.77

1.18%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 12.5% $244

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 16.7% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 29.9% $137

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 13.6% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 13.6% $26

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 28.5% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 21.6% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $2,383 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 28% 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 $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $451 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

04:06 4:06 AM

06:06 6:06 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

Seattle, WA
Chicago, IL

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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 Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chicago, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. 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 $3,800 in Seattle, WA and $3,185 in Chicago, IL. 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 $3,185 in Chicago, IL to $3,800 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chicago, 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.