Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Oak Park, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Oak Park, IL: $2,585 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Oak Park, IL
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Oak Park, IL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Oak Park, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,585 in Oak Park, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Oak Park, IL $2,585

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,781 in Oak Park, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Oak Park, IL $3,781

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,977 in Oak Park, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Oak Park, IL $4,977

Seattle, WA costs about 46% more than Oak Park, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Oak Park, IL sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Oak Park, IL by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$19.82 $19.82

23.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$75.3 $75.3

30.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.41 $11.41

29.62%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.47 $5.47

19.20%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.72 $2.72

18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.96 $1.96

61.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.04 $6.04

29.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.18 $7.18

11.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.02 $1.02

18.63%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.54 $3.54

45.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.22 $4.22

43.36%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.12 $4.12

18.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$14.11 $14.11

35.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.34 $11.34

66.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$16.89 $16.89

38.01%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.97 $4.97

20.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.57 $1.57

22.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.41 $4.41

19.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.47 $4.47

46.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.72 $2.72

33.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.75 $2.75

20.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.92 $1.92

44.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.54 $2.54

-1.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.26 $9.26

31.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.23 $2.23

89.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.46 $3.46

66.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.71 $1.71

72.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.68 $2.68

-1.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.98 $1.98

-13.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$33.26 $33.26

-10.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.04 $1.04

43.27%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$25.9K $25.9K

38.39%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$24.1K $24.1K

8.77%

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

$302 $302

$198 $198

52.74%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$59.2 $59.2

18.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$70.7 $70.7

20.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$37.92 $37.92

105.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$12.41 $12.41

43.76%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,458 $1,458

103.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$23.2K $23.2K

35.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$53.1 $53.1

44.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$43.71 $43.71

23.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$87.5 $87.5

46.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$124 $124

32.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,575 $1,575

55.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,312 $1,312

48.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,550 $2,550

86.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,168 $2,168

59.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$3,118 $3,118

136.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,251 $2,251

127.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$5,703 $5,703

14.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.57

4.87%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Oak Park, 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%

Oak Park, IL

$1.3K 50.8% 32.6% $635

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Oak Park, IL

$403 15.6% 26.2% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Oak Park, IL

$328 12.7% 28.4% $130

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Oak Park, IL

$322 12.5% 19.5% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Oak Park, IL

$139 5.4% 27.1% $52

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Oak Park, IL

$19 * 0.8% 85% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Oak Park, IL

$63 2.4% 44.7% $51

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 $1,575 in Oak Park, 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 14% 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 $75.0 in Oak Park, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $403 – making Oak Park, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Oak Park, IL

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

23:49 11:49 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

54,583

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Oak Park, IL 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
Oak Park, IL

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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 Oak Park, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA, $2,585 in Oak Park, IL – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,877 in Oak Park, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oak Park, 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 $75.0 in Oak Park, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% 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.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,585 in Oak Park, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,585 in Oak Park, IL to $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Oak Park, 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.