Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Libertyville, IL: $2,530 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Libertyville, IL
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Libertyville, IL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Libertyville, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,530 in Libertyville, IL.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Libertyville, IL $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,759 in Libertyville, IL.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Libertyville, IL $3,759

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,987 in Libertyville, IL.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Libertyville, IL $4,987

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 49% more expensive than in Libertyville, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Libertyville, IL 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$15.12 $15.12

62.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$55.2 $55.2

78.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.12 $10.12

46.15%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.45 $4.45

46.52%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.27 $2.27

42.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.31 $2.31

37.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$4.39 $4.39

78.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.09 $6.09

31.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.77 $0.77

57.14%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.08 $3.08

66.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.50 $4.50

34.44%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.82 $4.82

1.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.30 $11.30

69.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$9.58 $9.58

97.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$21.81 $21.81

6.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$6.03 $6.03

-0.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.13 $1.13

70.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.55 $4.55

15.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.76 $5.76

14.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.26 $4.26

-22.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.34 $2.34

18.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.28 $1.28

96.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.33 $11.33

7.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$12.13 $12.13

22.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.05 $2.05

105.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.48 $3.48

65.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.74 $1.74

69.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$5.05 $5.05

-47.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.84 $1.84

-6.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$49.63 $49.63

-40.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.96 $0.96

55.21%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.0K $27.0K

33.02%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.4K $26.4K

-0.59%

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

$302 $302

$234 $234

28.74%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$51.7 $51.7

35.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$59.2 $59.2

44.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$37.44 $37.44

107.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$15.10 $15.10

18.15%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,323 $1,323

124.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$19.9K $19.9K

57.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$52.3 $52.3

46.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$40.16 $40.16

34.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$110 $110

16.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$95.3 $95.3

72.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,412 $1,412

73.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,312 $1,312

48.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,278 $2,278

108.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,401 $2,401

44.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,754 $2,754

167.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,395 $2,395

114.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,437 $4,437

46.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.53

5.51%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Libertyville, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Libertyville, IL

$1.3K 51.9% 32.6% $634

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Libertyville, IL

$392 15.5% 28.1% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Libertyville, IL

$345 13.7% 24.5% $112

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Libertyville, IL

$257 10.2% 35.7% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Libertyville, IL

$134 5.3% 29.5% $56

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Libertyville, IL

$21 * 0.8% 83.6% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Libertyville, IL

$68 2.7% 40.4% $46

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 $1,412 in Libertyville, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 47% 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 $55.0 in Libertyville, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $392 per month, with Libertyville, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Libertyville, IL

🕒 Local time

20:57 8:57 PM

22:57 10:57 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

20,500

💱 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 Libertyville, IL 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

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

Libertyville, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Libertyville, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 47% 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 $1,412 in Libertyville, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% 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 $2,530 in Libertyville, IL – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,530 in Libertyville, IL versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Libertyville, IL but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Libertyville, IL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Libertyville, IL delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,530 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Libertyville, IL hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Libertyville, 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 Libertyville, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.