Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Naperville, IL: $2,821 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Naperville, IL
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Naperville, IL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Naperville, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,821 in Naperville, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Naperville, IL $2,821

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,974 in Naperville, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Naperville, IL $3,974

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,127 in Naperville, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Naperville, IL $5,127

Seattle, WA costs about 34% more than Naperville, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Naperville, IL sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Naperville, IL by 108%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$14.01 $14.01

75.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$74.9 $74.9

31.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.98 $11.98

23.46%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.27 $5.27

23.72%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.88 $2.88

12.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.29 $2.29

38.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.13 $6.13

28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$8.45 $8.45

-4.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.78 $0.78

55.13%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.85 $2.85

80.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$2.95 $2.95

105.08%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.52 $3.52

38.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$7.74 $7.74

147.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.46 $11.46

65.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$10.49 $10.49

122.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.49 $5.49

9.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.66 $1.66

16.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.47 $3.47

51.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.37 $5.37

22.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.70 $1.70

112.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.35 $3.35

-1.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.69 $1.69

64.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$12.21 $12.21

-0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$8.21 $8.21

80.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.76 $1.76

139.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.99 $3.99

44.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$130 $130

-18.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$5.61 $5.61

-52.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.91 $2.91

-40.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$17.46 $17.46

70.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.08 $1.08

37.96%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$24.4K $24.4K

46.96%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.8K $25.8K

1.79%

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

$302 $302

$173 $173

74.38%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$52.4 $52.4

33.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$51.6 $51.6

65.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$70.7 $70.7

10.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$15.09 $15.09

129.16%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$11.99 $11.99

48.79%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,477 $1,477

101.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$12.7K $12.7K

146.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$57.5 $57.5

33.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$24.78 $24.78

118.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$87.4 $87.4

46.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$50.6 $50.6

224.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$2,037 $2,037

20.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,616 $1,616

20.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$3,308 $3,308

43.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,429 $2,429

42.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,253 $2,253

227.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,241 $2,241

128.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$6,526 $6,526

-0.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.43

7.15%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Naperville, 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%

Naperville, IL

$1.6K 57.3% 17% $330

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Naperville, IL

$304 * 10.8% 44.3% $242

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Naperville, IL

$277 9.8% 39.4% $180

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Naperville, IL

$280 9.9% 30.1% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Naperville, IL

$99 3.5% 47.9% $91

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Naperville, IL

$150 * 5.3% 16.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Naperville, IL

$95 3.4% 16.6% $19

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 $2,037 in Naperville, 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 0% higher in Naperville, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $75.0 in Naperville, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $304 – making Naperville, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Naperville, IL

🕒 Local time

20:56 8:56 PM

22:56 10:56 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

149,540

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

From you

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

Seattle, WA costs about 34% more than Naperville, 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 $4,231 in Naperville, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 22% less in Naperville, IL. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,973 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,477 in Naperville, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,821 in Naperville, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Naperville, IL costs $2,821 versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Naperville, 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.