Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Rock Island, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Rock Island, IL: $2,664 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 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
132

Cost of Living Index in Rock Island, IL
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Rock Island, IL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Rock Island, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,664

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,664 in Rock Island, IL.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Rock Island, IL $2,664

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,843 in Rock Island, IL.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Rock Island, IL $3,843

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $5,023 in Rock Island, IL.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Rock Island, IL $5,023

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 42% more expensive than in Rock Island, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Rock Island, IL 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$20.07 $20.07

22.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$67.2 $67.2

46.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$12.84 $12.84

15.19%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.90 $5.90

10.51%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.14 $3.14

2.87%

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

$7.08 $7.08

10.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.97 $7.97

0.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.94 $0.94

28.72%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.51 $3.51

46.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.23 $4.23

43.03%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.71 $3.71

31.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$15.09 $15.09

27.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$13.15 $13.15

43.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$20.09 $20.09

16.03%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.73 $4.73

26.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.63 $1.63

18.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$5.15 $5.15

1.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.79 $4.79

37.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.80 $2.80

29.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.13 $3.13

5.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.16 $2.16

28.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.42 $2.42

3.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.72 $10.72

13.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.51 $15.51

-4.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.66 $2.66

58.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$4.36 $4.36

32.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.82 $1.82

62.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.96 $3.96

-33.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.99 $1.99

-13.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$44.24 $44.24

-32.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.00 $1.00

49.00%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$31.2K $31.2K

15.12%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.6K $25.6K

2.38%

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

$302 $302

$267 $267

13.08%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$52.3 $52.3

34.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$80.6 $80.6

5.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$45.16 $45.16

72.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$15.12 $15.12

17.99%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,719 $1,719

72.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$23.8K $23.8K

31.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$64.5 $64.5

18.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$50.9 $50.9

6.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$108 $108

19.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$120 $120

37.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,812 $1,812

34.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,239 $1,239

57.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,614 $2,614

81.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,021 $2,021

71.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,912 $2,912

153.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,284 $2,284

124.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

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 19, 2026

Last update for Rock Island, IL: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Rock Island, IL

$1.2K 46.5% 36.4% $708

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Rock Island, IL

$431 16.2% 21% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Rock Island, IL

$400 15% 12.6% $57

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Rock Island, IL

$343 12.9% 14.1% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Rock Island, IL

$154 5.8% 18.9% $36

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Rock Island, IL

$21 * 0.8% 83.6% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Rock Island, IL

$75 2.8% 33.6% $38

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 $1,812 in Rock Island, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $67.0 in Rock Island, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $431 per month, with Rock Island, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Rock Island, IL

🕒 Local time

18:51 6:51 PM

20:51 8:51 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

37,108

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Rock Island, IL 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Rock Island, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rock Island, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,673 in Seattle, WA and $3,995 in Rock Island, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,812 in Rock Island, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% 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 $2,664 in Rock Island, IL – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Rock Island, IL is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rock Island, IL delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,664 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rock Island, IL hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Rock Island, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.