Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Urbana, IL: $1,871 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 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
90

Cost of Living Index in Urbana, IL
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Urbana, IL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Urbana, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,871

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $1,871 in Urbana, IL.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Urbana, IL $1,871

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $2,130 in Urbana, IL.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Urbana, IL $2,130

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $2,389 in Urbana, IL.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Urbana, IL $2,389

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 102% more expensive than in Urbana, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Urbana, IL 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$14.75 $14.75

71.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$60.9 $60.9

65.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.04 $10.04

47.01%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.85 $4.85

34.02%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.23 $2.23

43.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.77 $1.77

77.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.59 $5.59

42.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$5.62 $5.62

44.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.79 $0.79

48.10%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.11 $3.11

70.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.99 $2.99

114.05%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.98 $3.98

27.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$12.11 $12.11

54.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$8.64 $8.64

116.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$14.18 $14.18

61.35%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.01 $4.01

51.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.62 $1.62

20.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.12 $3.12

76.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.39 $4.39

48.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.19 $2.19

59.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.62 $2.62

25.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.28 $2.28

22.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.38 $1.38

86.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$12.47 $12.47

0.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.11 $15.11

-1.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.07 $2.07

102.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.38 $3.38

71.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$0.98 $0.98

211.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.07 $3.07

-15.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$0.64 $0.64

156.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$24.53 $24.53

22.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.17 $1.17

20.51%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.7K $27.7K

32.62%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.79%

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

$308 $308

$240 $240

28.38%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$45.26 $45.26

52.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$62.2 $62.2

38.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$13.25 $13.25

36.00%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,009 $1,009

172.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$20.0K $20.0K

52.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$47.71 $47.71

65.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$52.5 $52.5

3.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$99.8 $99.8

27.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$122 $122

30.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$862 $862

190.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$743 $743

161.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$1,728 $1,728

326.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,749 $1,749

185.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$6,557 $6,557

-1.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.82

1.03%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Urbana, IL: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Urbana, IL

$743 39.7% 61.7% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Urbana, IL

$338 18.1% 38.2% $209

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Urbana, IL

$347 18.6% 25% $116

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Urbana, IL

$262 14% 35.6% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Urbana, IL

$145 7.8% 23.1% $44

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Urbana, IL

$10 * 0.6% 92.1% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Urbana, IL

$26 * 1.4% 76.5% $86

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 $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $862 in Urbana, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $61 in Urbana, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $338 per month, with Urbana, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Urbana, IL

🕒 Local time

15:22 3:22 PM

17:22 5:22 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

41,250

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Urbana, IL 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Urbana, IL is about 51% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $5,677 in Seattle, WA and $2,806 in Urbana, 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $862 in Urbana, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,009 in Urbana, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Urbana, IL – a meal for two runs $61 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.