Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Decatur, IL: $1,725 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $24,900 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
84

Cost of Living Index in Decatur, IL
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Decatur, IL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Decatur, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $1,725 in Decatur, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Decatur, IL $1,725

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,654 in Decatur, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Decatur, IL $2,654

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,582 in Decatur, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Decatur, IL $3,582

Seattle, WA costs about 120% more than Decatur, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Decatur, IL sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, Decatur, IL by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$19.96 $19.96

26.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$83.4 $83.4

21.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$8.74 $8.74

69.91%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.41 $5.41

21.81%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.24 $2.24

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.66 $1.66

89.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$5.02 $5.02

62.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.12 $6.12

31.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.34 $1.34

-9.70%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.06 $3.06

67.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$2.03 $2.03

210.34%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$4.74 $4.74

3.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$13.87 $13.87

37.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$14.86 $14.86

24.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$13.08 $13.08

76.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.31 $4.31

34.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.02 $2.02

-3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.03 $4.03

31.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$3.27 $3.27

98.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$0.91 $0.91

292.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.09 $1.09

188.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.48 $1.48

92.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.07 $3.07

-21.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$15.87 $15.87

-19.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$14.81 $14.81

1.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.20 $2.20

89.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$1.99 $1.99

201.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.17 $3.17

-19.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.42 $1.42

15.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$25.28 $25.28

17.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.16 $1.16

22.41%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$37.0K $37.0K

-3.26%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.5K $25.5K

0.21%

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

$299 $299

$85.6 $85.6

249.19%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$67.2 $67.2

5.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$60.2 $60.2

46.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$74.7 $74.7

6.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$11.82 $11.82

44.84%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$1,525 $1,525

97.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$32.0K $32.0K

-1.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$68.1 $68.1

13.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$51.5 $51.5

6.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$101 $101

23.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$144 $144

12.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$867 $867

184.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$551 $551

254.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$993 $993

374.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$805 $805

341.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$940 $940

681.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$941 $941

436.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$4,599 $4,599

36.67%

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 Decatur, IL: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Decatur, IL

$551 31.9% 71.8% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Decatur, IL

$385 22.3% 29% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Decatur, IL

$213 12.3% 53.5% $245

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Decatur, IL

$304 17.6% 25.7% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Decatur, IL

$164 9.5% 13.2% $25

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Decatur, IL

$10 * 0.6% 92.3% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Decatur, IL

$98 5.7% 13.6% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $867 in Decatur, 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 37% 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 $83.0 in Decatur, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $385 – making Decatur, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Decatur, IL

🕒 Local time

16:47 4:47 PM

18:47 6:47 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

77,047

💱 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 Decatur, IL 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 120%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $2,588 in Decatur, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $83.0 in Decatur, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% 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 $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Decatur, IL, where all-in costs run around $1,725, than in Seattle, WA at $3,800. In Decatur, IL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Decatur, 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 Decatur, 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.