Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Saint Charles, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Charles, IL: $2,710 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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 Saint Charles, IL
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Saint Charles, IL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Saint Charles, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,710 in Saint Charles, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Saint Charles, IL $2,710

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,230 in Saint Charles, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Saint Charles, IL $4,230

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,749 in Saint Charles, IL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Saint Charles, IL $5,749

Seattle, WA costs about 40% more than Saint Charles, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Saint Charles, IL sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Saint Charles, IL by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$38.02 $38.02

-35.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$99.6 $99.6

-1.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.63 $10.63

39.13%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$6.85 $6.85

-4.82%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.37 $3.37

-4.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.07 $3.07

3.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$7.03 $7.03

11.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.54 $7.54

6.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.98 $0.98

23.47%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.55 $3.55

44.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.23 $4.23

43.03%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.57 $4.57

6.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.33 $12.33

55.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.47 $11.47

64.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$12.85 $12.85

81.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.08 $5.08

17.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.01 $1.01

91.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.34 $4.34

20.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.78 $4.78

37.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.75 $2.75

31.64%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.04 $3.04

8.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.57 $1.57

77.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.23 $2.23

12.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.41 $11.41

6.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.12 $15.12

-1.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.93 $1.93

118.65%

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

$2.02 $2.02

46.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.24 $3.24

-18.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.64 $1.64

4.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$32.52 $32.52

-8.61%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

38.08%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.1K $26.1K

0.67%

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

$302 $302

$195 $195

54.46%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$66.6 $66.6

5.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$70.9 $70.9

20.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$43.09 $43.09

80.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$14.74 $14.74

21.03%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,358 $1,358

118.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$26.2K $26.2K

19.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$51.1 $51.1

49.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$39.30 $39.30

37.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$75.7 $75.7

69.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$131 $131

25.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,800 $1,800

35.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,277 $1,277

52.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,543 $2,543

86.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,472 $2,472

40.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$3,065 $3,065

140.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,620 $2,620

95.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

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 Saint Charles, 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%

Saint Charles, IL

$1.3K 47.1% 34.4% $670

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Saint Charles, IL

$380 14% 30.3% $165

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Saint Charles, IL

$333 12.3% 27.2% $124

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Saint Charles, IL

$494 18.2% 23.7% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Saint Charles, IL

$134 4.9% 29.8% $57

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Saint Charles, IL

$20 * 0.7% 84.9% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Saint Charles, IL

$73 2.7% 36.1% $41

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 $1,800 in Saint Charles, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $100 in Saint Charles, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $546 in Seattle, WA vs $380 in Saint Charles, IL – so Saint Charles, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Saint Charles, IL

🕒 Local time

19:34 7:34 PM

21:34 9:34 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

70,329

💱 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 Saint Charles, IL 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Seattle, WA costs about 40% more than Saint Charles, 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 $4,065 in Saint Charles, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,710 in Saint Charles, IL. That's a gap of about 40%.

Kindergarten costs $2,973 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,358 in Saint Charles, 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 $2,710 in Saint Charles, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Saint Charles, IL costs $2,710 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 Saint Charles, 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.