Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Hoffman Estates, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Hoffman Estates, IL: $2,548 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 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 Hoffman Estates, IL
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Hoffman Estates, IL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Hoffman Estates, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,548 in Hoffman Estates, IL.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Hoffman Estates, IL $2,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,650 in Hoffman Estates, IL.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Hoffman Estates, IL $3,650

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,753 in Hoffman Estates, IL.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Hoffman Estates, IL $4,753

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 48% more expensive than in Hoffman Estates, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Hoffman Estates, IL 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$17.29 $17.29

41.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$66.6 $66.6

47.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.17 $10.17

45.43%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.86 $4.86

34.16%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.76 $2.76

17.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.01 $2.01

57.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.40 $6.40

22.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.17 $6.17

30.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.01 $1.01

19.80%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.43 $3.43

49.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.29 $4.29

41.03%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.27 $4.27

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.41 $12.41

54.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.38 $11.38

66.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$17.28 $17.28

34.90%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.96 $4.96

20.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.59 $1.59

21.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.27 $4.27

22.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.60 $4.60

42.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.72 $2.72

33.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.01 $3.01

9.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.14 $2.14

29.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.20 $2.20

14.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$8.92 $8.92

36.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$14.93 $14.93

-0.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.21 $2.21

90.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.87 $2.87

101.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.05 $2.05

43.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.37 $3.37

-21.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.52 $1.52

13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$30.23 $30.23

-1.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.22 $1.22

22.13%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$26.4K $26.4K

35.98%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$27.1K $27.1K

-3.01%

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

$302 $302

$222 $222

35.91%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$59.5 $59.5

17.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$68.7 $68.7

24.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$41.74 $41.74

86.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$13.87 $13.87

28.62%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,385 $1,385

114.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$25.3K $25.3K

23.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$58.7 $58.7

30.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$40.85 $40.85

32.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$90.1 $90.1

42.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$122 $122

34.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,618 $1,618

51.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,283 $1,283

51.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,803 $2,803

69.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,029 $2,029

70.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,652 $2,652

177.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,396 $2,396

114.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$2,390 $2,390

172.20%

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 Hoffman Estates, 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%

Hoffman Estates, IL

$1.3K 50.4% 34.1% $663

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Hoffman Estates, IL

$395 15.5% 27.6% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Hoffman Estates, IL

$350 13.7% 23.4% $107

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Hoffman Estates, IL

$291 11.4% 27.3% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Hoffman Estates, IL

$140 5.5% 26.2% $50

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Hoffman Estates, IL

$19 * 0.8% 85.2% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Hoffman Estates, IL

$69 2.7% 38.8% $44

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 $1,618 in Hoffman Estates, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 172% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $67.0 in Hoffman Estates, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $395 per month, with Hoffman Estates, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Hoffman Estates, IL

🕒 Local time

20:16 8:16 PM

22:16 10:16 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

51,895

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Hoffman Estates, IL 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

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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 Hoffman Estates, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Hoffman Estates, IL differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $2,548 including rent). Hoffman Estates, IL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 172% higher in Seattle, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,618 in Hoffman Estates, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $1,385 in Hoffman Estates, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hoffman Estates, IL – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Hoffman Estates, 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.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Hoffman Estates, 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 Hoffman Estates, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.