Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Effingham, IL: $2,500 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 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
121

Cost of Living Index in Effingham, IL
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Effingham, IL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Effingham, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,500

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,500 in Effingham, IL.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Effingham, IL $2,500

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,556 in Effingham, IL.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Effingham, IL $3,556

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,612 in Effingham, IL.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Effingham, IL $4,612

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 51% more expensive than in Effingham, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Effingham, IL 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$15.06 $15.06

62.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$44.89 $44.89

118.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.95 $11.95

23.77%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.53 $5.53

17.90%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.21 $3.21

0.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.66 $2.66

19.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.05 $5.05

55.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.04 $7.04

14.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.89 $0.89

35.96%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.40 $3.40

51.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.48 $4.48

35.04%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.67 $3.67

32.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.49 $12.49

53.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.81 $10.81

74.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$16.77 $16.77

39.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.72 $5.72

4.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.45 $1.45

33.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.72 $4.72

11.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.37 $4.37

50.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.23 $2.23

62.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.08 $1.08

206.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.45 $2.45

13.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.43 $2.43

3.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.84 $10.84

12.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$11.88 $11.88

24.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.00 $2.00

111.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.64 $3.64

58.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.84 $1.84

60.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.95 $1.95

35.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.76 $1.76

-2.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$33.78 $33.78

-12.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.99 $0.99

50.51%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$30.1K $30.1K

19.30%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

0.15%

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

$302 $302

$229 $229

31.56%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$44.95 $44.95

56.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$65.4 $65.4

30.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$41.33 $41.33

88.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$14.98 $14.98

19.09%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,729 $1,729

71.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$24.1K $24.1K

29.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$45.09 $45.09

69.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$35.03 $35.03

54.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$85.7 $85.7

49.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$65.2 $65.2

151.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,628 $1,628

50.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,297 $1,297

50.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,487 $2,487

90.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,146 $2,146

61.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,804 $2,804

162.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,326 $2,326

120.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.57

4.87%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Effingham, IL: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Effingham, IL

$1.3K 51.9% 33.4% $650

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Effingham, IL

$384 15.4% 29.6% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Effingham, IL

$340 13.6% 25.7% $117

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Effingham, IL

$285 11.4% 28.6% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Effingham, IL

$104 4.2% 45.4% $86

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Effingham, IL

$18 * 0.7% 86% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Effingham, 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 $1,628 in Effingham, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $45.00 in Effingham, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $384 per month, with Effingham, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Effingham, IL

🕒 Local time

20:56 8:56 PM

22:56 10:56 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

12,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Effingham, IL 2,860 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

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

Seattle, WA and Effingham, IL differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $2,500 including rent). Effingham, IL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,673 in Seattle, WA and $3,750 in Effingham, 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 $1,628 in Effingham, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,500 in Effingham, IL – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Effingham, IL is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Effingham, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.