Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Joliet, IL: $2,572 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Joliet, IL
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Joliet, IL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Joliet, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,572

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,572 in Joliet, IL.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Joliet, IL $2,572

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,769 in Joliet, IL.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Joliet, IL $3,769

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,967 in Joliet, IL.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Joliet, IL $4,967

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 47% more expensive than in Joliet, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Joliet, IL 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$18.77 $18.77

30.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$75.3 $75.3

30.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.95 $10.95

35.07%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.22 $5.22

24.90%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.47 $2.47

30.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.99 $1.99

59.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.11 $6.11

28.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.04 $7.04

14.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.04 $1.04

16.35%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.47 $3.47

48.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.40 $4.40

37.50%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.27 $4.27

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.50 $12.50

53.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.49 $11.49

64.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$15.28 $15.28

52.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.88 $4.88

22.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.64 $1.64

17.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.22 $4.22

24.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.78 $4.78

37.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.81 $2.81

28.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.85 $2.85

16.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.07 $2.07

34.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.20 $2.20

14.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.66 $9.66

26.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$13.80 $13.80

7.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.77 $1.77

138.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.40 $3.40

69.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.04 $2.04

44.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.60 $3.60

-26.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.59 $1.59

8.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$28.95 $28.95

2.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.91 $0.91

63.74%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$29.8K $29.8K

20.40%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.9K $25.9K

1.30%

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

$302 $302

$186 $186

62.68%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$53.2 $53.2

31.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$66.6 $66.6

28.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$42.59 $42.59

82.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$13.61 $13.61

31.08%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,282 $1,282

131.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$23.9K $23.9K

31.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$50.8 $50.8

50.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$39.24 $39.24

37.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$85.6 $85.6

49.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$112 $112

46.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,619 $1,619

50.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,352 $1,352

44.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,600 $2,600

82.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,250 $2,250

54.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,825 $2,825

160.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,490 $2,490

105.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.51

5.84%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Joliet, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Joliet, IL

$1.4K 52.6% 30.6% $595

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Joliet, IL

$388 15.1% 29% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Joliet, IL

$305 11.9% 33.2% $152

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Joliet, IL

$308 12% 22.9% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Joliet, IL

$129 5% 32% $61

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Joliet, IL

$20 * 0.8% 84.7% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Joliet, IL

$70 2.7% 38.5% $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 $1,619 in Joliet, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $75.0 in Joliet, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $388 per month, with Joliet, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Joliet, IL

🕒 Local time

20:18 8:18 PM

22:18 10:18 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

150,362

💱 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 Joliet, IL 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Seattle, WA and Joliet, IL differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $2,572 including rent). Joliet, 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 $3,857 in Joliet, 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 $1,619 in Joliet, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $1,282 in Joliet, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Joliet, IL – a meal for two runs $75.0 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. Joliet, 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 Joliet, 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 Joliet, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.