Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Evanston, IL: $2,572 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Evanston, IL
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Evanston, IL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Evanston, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,572

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,572 in Evanston, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Evanston, IL $2,572

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,469 in Evanston, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Evanston, IL $4,469

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $6,366 in Evanston, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Evanston, IL $6,366

Seattle, WA costs about 47% more than Evanston, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Evanston, IL sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Evanston, IL by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$20.30 $20.30

24.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$85.2 $85.2

18.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$12.82 $12.82

15.13%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.83 $5.83

11.49%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.71 $2.71

18.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.24 $2.24

40.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.98 $6.98

14.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.88 $7.88

3.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.04 $1.04

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.73 $3.73

42.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.27 $4.27

49.88%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.58 $4.58

10.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$13.66 $13.66

36.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$14.34 $14.34

30.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$19.96 $19.96

14.63%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.23 $5.23

15.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.62 $1.62

20.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.86 $3.86

42.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.00 $5.00

30.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.77 $2.77

25.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.94 $2.94

11.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.08 $2.08

34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.37 $2.37

8.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.83 $10.83

15.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.24 $15.24

-2.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.67 $2.67

56.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.34 $3.34

73.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.46 $2.46

23.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$75.2 $75.2

40.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.02 $4.02

-35.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.42 $1.42

15.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$44.50 $44.50

-32.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.04 $1.04

35.58%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$30.0K $30.0K

22.62%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.3K $25.3K

4.95%

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

$308 $308

$194 $194

58.27%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$60.4 $60.4

14.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$74.0 $74.0

16.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$75.0 $75.0

1.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$59.6 $59.6

-40.43%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.74 $14.74

22.25%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,646 $1,646

66.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$31.6K $31.6K

-3.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$63.6 $63.6

24.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$50.1 $50.1

8.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$108 $108

16.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$127 $127

25.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,688 $1,688

48.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,111 $1,111

74.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$4,000 $4,000

27.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$3,055 $3,055

15.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$14.4K $14.4K

-48.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$12.7K $12.7K

-60.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$5,558 $5,558

16.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.81

1.17%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Evanston, 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%

Evanston, IL

$1.1K 43.2% 42.7% $827

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Evanston, IL

$433 16.9% 20.8% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Evanston, IL

$329 12.8% 29% $134

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Evanston, IL

$341 13.3% 16% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Evanston, IL

$157 6.1% 16.9% $32

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Evanston, IL

$96 3.7% 25.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Evanston, IL

$105 4.1% 7.1% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,688 in Evanston, 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 16% 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 $85 in Evanston, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $433 – making Evanston, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Evanston, IL

🕒 Local time

21:43 9:43 PM

23:43 11:43 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

74,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA, $2,572 in Evanston, IL – Evanston, IL comes out roughly 32% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,858 in Evanston, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Evanston, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,688 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Seattle, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $85 in Evanston, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Evanston, IL, where all-in costs run around $2,572, than in Seattle, WA at $3,785. In Evanston, IL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Evanston, 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 Evanston, 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.