Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Springfield, IL: $2,270 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 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
110

Cost of Living Index in Springfield, IL
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Springfield, IL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Springfield, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,270 in Springfield, IL.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Springfield, IL $2,270

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,350 in Springfield, IL.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Springfield, IL $3,350

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,429 in Springfield, IL.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Springfield, IL $4,429

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 67% more expensive than in Springfield, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Springfield, IL 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$14.25 $14.25

77.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$43.25 $43.25

133.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$9.84 $9.84

50.00%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.28 $5.28

23.11%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$1.94 $1.94

65.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.55 $1.55

102.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$2.96 $2.96

169.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$3.91 $3.91

107.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.75 $0.75

56.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.30 $3.30

60.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$8.96 $8.96

-28.57%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.07 $3.07

64.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$19.30 $19.30

-3.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$17.20 $17.20

8.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$32.10 $32.10

-28.72%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$8.29 $8.29

-26.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.27 $1.27

53.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$8.96 $8.96

-38.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.82 $5.82

12.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.14 $3.14

11.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.62 $4.62

-28.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.87 $1.87

49.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.61 $1.61

60.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.78 $10.78

15.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$10.96 $10.96

35.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.29 $1.29

224.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$1.56 $1.56

271.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.21 $1.21

152.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$40.30 $40.30

162.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$5.67 $5.67

-54.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.05 $1.05

56.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$18.17 $18.17

65.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.97 $0.97

45.36%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.4K $27.4K

34.29%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$27.3K $27.3K

-2.67%

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

$308 $308

$229 $229

34.16%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$95.2 $95.2

-27.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$63.8 $63.8

34.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$32.48 $32.48

135.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$19.91 $19.91

78.30%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$12.62 $12.62

42.79%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$962 $962

185.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$105 $105

-24.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$54.9 $54.9

-1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$124 $124

2.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$138 $138

15.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$940 $940

166.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$815 $815

137.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,903 $1,903

168.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,339 $1,339

164.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$1,456 $1,456

406.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,143 $1,143

337.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,009 $4,009

61.39%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Springfield, IL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Springfield, IL

$815 35.9% 57.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Springfield, IL

$520 22.9% 5% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Springfield, IL

$388 17.1% 16.1% $75

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Springfield, IL

$244 10.7% 40.1% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Springfield, IL

$190 8.4% 0.6% $1.1

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Springfield, IL

$56 2.5% 56.5% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Springfield, IL

$58 2.5% 48.7% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $940 in Springfield, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 61% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $43 in Springfield, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $520 per month, with Springfield, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Springfield, IL

🕒 Local time

15:57 3:57 PM

17:57 5:57 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

116,482

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Springfield, IL 2,740 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 Springfield, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Springfield, IL is about 40% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 61% higher in Seattle, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $940 in Springfield, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Springfield, IL – a meal for two runs $43 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,270 in Springfield, IL – Springfield, IL is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Springfield, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.