Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Kenosha, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Kenosha, WI: $2,325 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Seattle, WA, United States
Kenosha, WI, United States
Seattle, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,785
/mo nomad
Kenosha, WI
🇺🇸 United States
$2,325
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Kenosha, WI

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 Kenosha, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,325 in Kenosha, WI, rent included.

  • Seattle, WA $3,785
  • Kenosha, WI $2,325

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,419 in Kenosha, WI, rent included.

  • Seattle, WA $5,688
  • Kenosha, WI $3,419

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,514 in Kenosha, WI, rent included.

  • Seattle, WA $7,592
  • Kenosha, WI $4,514

Seattle, WA costs about 63% more than Kenosha, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Kenosha, WI sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Kenosha, WI by 71%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Seattle, WA
Kenosha, WI
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.30 $25.30
$20.11 $20.11
25.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$101 $101
$66.1 $66.1
52.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.76 $14.76
$10.19 $10.19
44.85%
Cappuccino
$6.50 $6.50
$5.83 $5.83
11.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21 $3.21
$2.69 $2.69
19.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 $3.14
$1.96 $1.96
60.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.97 $7.97
$4.43 $4.43
79.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.13 $8.13
$8.11 $8.11
0.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Seattle, WA
Kenosha, WI
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 $1.17
$0.99 $0.99
18.18%
White Bread (500g)
$5.30 $5.30
$3.40 $3.40
55.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.40 $6.40
$4.16 $4.16
53.85%
Eggs
$5.06 $5.06
$3.58 $3.58
41.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.71 $18.71
$15.13 $15.13
23.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$18.72 $18.72
$8.93 $8.93
109.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.88 $22.88
$10.87 $10.87
110.49%
Apples (1kg)
$6.06 $6.06
$4.61 $4.61
31.45%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.47 $1.47
32.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.51 $5.51
$2.27 $2.27
142.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.52 $6.52
$4.96 $4.96
31.45%
Potato (1kg)
$3.49 $3.49
$1.57 $1.57
122.29%
Onion (1kg)
$3.29 $3.29
$2.16 $2.16
52.31%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.80 $2.80
$1.23 $1.23
127.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.58 $2.58
$2.36 $2.36
9.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.49 $12.49
$10.86 $10.86
15.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.87 $14.87
$15.42 $15.42
-3.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.19 $4.19
$1.71 $1.71
145.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.80 $5.80
$4.37 $4.37
32.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Seattle, WA
Kenosha, WI
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.05 $3.05
$1.97 $1.97
54.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$106 $106
$61.0 $61.0
73.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.58 $2.58
$3.97 $3.97
-35.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.64 $1.64
$2.05 $2.05
-20.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.12 $30.12
$43.94 $43.94
-31.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.41 $1.41
$0.96 $0.96
46.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.8K $36.8K
$27.2K $27.2K
35.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K $26.6K
$26.2K $26.2K
1.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seattle, WA
Kenosha, WI
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$308 $308
$160 $160
91.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$69.2 $69.2
$53.4 $53.4
29.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$86.1 $86.1
$67.9 $67.9
26.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Seattle, WA
Kenosha, WI
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.5 $76.5
$31.86 $31.86
139.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.50 $35.50
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$18.02 $18.02
$9.88 $9.88
82.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Seattle, WA
Kenosha, WI
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,746 $2,746
$1,117 $1,117
145.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.6K $30.6K
$23.0K $23.0K
32.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Seattle, WA
Kenosha, WI
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$79.2 $79.2
$63.3 $63.3
25.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.3 $54.3
$51.0 $51.0
6.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$127 $127
$88.2 $88.2
43.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$159 $159
$83.6 $83.6
90.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Seattle, WA
Kenosha, WI
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,508 $2,508
$1,459 $1,459
71.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,938 $1,938
$1,107 $1,107
75.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,117 $5,117
$1,800 $1,800
184.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,542 $3,542
$1,842 $1,842
92.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,374 $7,374
$2,589 $2,589
184.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,002 $5,002
$1,791 $1,791
179.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Seattle, WA
Kenosha, WI
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,470 $6,470
$3,939 $3,939
64.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.89
6.69
2.99%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kenosha, WI: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Seattle, WA
$1.9K
Kenosha, WI
$1.1K 42.9% $831
Groceries & Markets
Seattle, WA
$547
Kenosha, WI
$354 35.3% $193
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seattle, WA
$463
Kenosha, WI
$282 39.1% $181
Eating Out
Seattle, WA
$406
Kenosha, WI
$318 21.6% $88
Clothing & Footwear
Seattle, WA
$189
Kenosha, WI
$129 31.8% $60
Getting Around
Seattle, WA
$129
Kenosha, WI
$83 35.6% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Seattle, WA
$112
Kenosha, WI
$52 54.1% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,459 in Kenosha, WI. 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 64% higher in Seattle, WA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $66 in Kenosha, WI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $354 – making Kenosha, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Seattle, WA
🇺🇸 Kenosha, WI
🕒 Local time
21:03 9:03 PM
23:03 11:03 PM
2 h ahead of Seattle, WA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
737,015
99,986
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Seattle, WA Kenosha, WI 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Seattle, WA
  • Kenosha, WI

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 Kenosha, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Seattle, WA and in Kenosha, WI compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA, $2,325 in Kenosha, WI – Kenosha, WI comes out roughly 39% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Seattle, WA compared to Kenosha, WI?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,487 in Kenosha, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Seattle, WA and Kenosha, WI?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kenosha, WI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,459 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $66 in Kenosha, WI. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Seattle, WA or Kenosha, WI?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,325 in Kenosha, WI. That makes Kenosha, WI about 39% cheaper.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Kenosha, WI, where all-in costs run around $2,325, than in Seattle, WA at $3,785. In Kenosha, WI it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Seattle, WA or Kenosha, WI?
Families tend to lean toward Kenosha, WI – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Seattle, WA and Kenosha, WI?
If budget matters most, go with Kenosha, WI. 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.

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