Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Murphysboro, IL: $1,693 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $25,100 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
82

Cost of Living Index in Murphysboro, IL
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Murphysboro, IL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Murphysboro, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $1,693 in Murphysboro, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Murphysboro, IL $1,693

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,573 in Murphysboro, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Murphysboro, IL $2,573

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,453 in Murphysboro, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Murphysboro, IL $3,453

Seattle, WA costs about 123% more than Murphysboro, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Murphysboro, IL sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Murphysboro, IL by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$17.97 $17.97

36.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$86.1 $86.1

14.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.82 $11.82

25.13%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$6.94 $6.94

-6.05%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.85 $2.85

13.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.40 $2.40

32.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.85 $6.85

14.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$8.05 $8.05

-0.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.81 $0.81

49.38%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$1.82 $1.82

182.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.00 $4.00

51.25%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.20 $4.20

16.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$13.12 $13.12

46.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$9.67 $9.67

95.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$15.51 $15.51

50.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.74 $5.74

4.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.59 $1.59

21.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.18 $4.18

25.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.08 $5.08

29.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.07 $1.07

238.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.00 $2.00

65.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.58 $1.58

75.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$0.77 $0.77

225.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.14 $9.14

33.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$10.15 $10.15

46.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.38 $2.38

77.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$4.18 $4.18

38.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.16 $2.16

36.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$5.03 $5.03

-47.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.57 $1.57

9.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$20.95 $20.95

41.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.99 $0.99

50.51%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$37.5K $37.5K

-4.30%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.68%

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

$302 $302

$189 $189

59.30%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$33.50 $33.50

109.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$38.96 $38.96

118.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$37.79 $37.79

105.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$8.84 $8.84

101.81%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,463 $1,463

103.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$30.0K $30.0K

4.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$33.16 $33.16

130.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$34.71 $34.71

55.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$93.2 $93.2

37.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$114 $114

44.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$643 $643

280.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$560 $560

247.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$894 $894

430.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$842 $842

311.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$934 $934

688.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$993 $993

416.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$2,534 $2,534

156.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.55

5.19%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Murphysboro, 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%

Murphysboro, IL

$560 33.1% 71.2% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Murphysboro, IL

$337 19.9% 38.2% $208

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Murphysboro, IL

$262 15.5% 42.7% $195

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Murphysboro, IL

$334 19.7% 16.4% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Murphysboro, IL

$124 7.3% 35.1% $67

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Murphysboro, IL

$22 * 1.3% 83.4% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Murphysboro, IL

$55 3.3% 51.1% $58

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $643 in Murphysboro, 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 157% 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 $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $86.0 in Murphysboro, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $337 – making Murphysboro, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Murphysboro, IL

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

00:22 12:22 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

7,500

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Murphysboro, IL 2,880 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 Murphysboro, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 123% more than Murphysboro, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $2,540 in Murphysboro, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Murphysboro, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA and $86.0 in Murphysboro, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 62% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Murphysboro, IL, where all-in costs run around $1,693, than in Seattle, WA at $3,782. In Murphysboro, IL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Murphysboro, IL costs $1,693 versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Murphysboro, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.