Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Waukegan, IL: $2,588 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Waukegan, IL
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Waukegan, IL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Waukegan, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,588

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,588 in Waukegan, IL.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Waukegan, IL $2,588

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,760 in Waukegan, IL.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Waukegan, IL $3,760

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,931 in Waukegan, IL.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Waukegan, IL $4,931

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 46% more expensive than in Waukegan, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Waukegan, IL 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$18.80 $18.80

30.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$73.9 $73.9

32.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.09 $11.09

33.36%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.04 $5.04

29.37%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.47 $2.47

30.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.95 $1.95

62.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.12 $6.12

28.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.15 $7.15

12.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.01 $1.01

19.80%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.44 $3.44

49.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.19 $4.19

44.39%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.06 $4.06

20.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.46 $12.46

53.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.48 $11.48

64.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$15.19 $15.19

53.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.94 $4.94

21.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.56 $1.56

23.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.15 $4.15

26.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.60 $4.60

42.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.77 $2.77

30.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.86 $2.86

15.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.02 $2.02

37.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.08 $2.08

20.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.56 $9.56

27.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$13.83 $13.83

7.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.77 $1.77

138.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.28 $3.28

75.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.96 $1.96

50.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.52 $3.52

-24.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.58 $1.58

8.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$28.94 $28.94

2.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.91 $0.91

63.74%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$29.7K $29.7K

20.67%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.6K $25.6K

2.53%

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

$302 $302

$188 $188

60.29%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$51.9 $51.9

35.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$66.3 $66.3

28.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$42.42 $42.42

83.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$13.37 $13.37

33.43%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,314 $1,314

126.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$23.5K $23.5K

32.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$51.5 $51.5

48.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$40.19 $40.19

34.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$87.5 $87.5

46.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$114 $114

43.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,631 $1,631

49.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,373 $1,373

41.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,587 $2,587

83.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,235 $2,235

55.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,798 $2,798

163.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,430 $2,430

110.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.51

5.84%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Waukegan, 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%

Waukegan, IL

$1.4K 53.1% 29.5% $574

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Waukegan, IL

$382 14.7% 30.1% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Waukegan, IL

$306 11.8% 33% $151

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Waukegan, IL

$307 11.9% 23.3% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Waukegan, IL

$132 5.1% 30.6% $58

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Waukegan, IL

$19 * 0.7% 85.1% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Waukegan, IL

$69 2.7% 39.1% $44

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 $1,631 in Waukegan, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $74.0 in Waukegan, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $382 per month, with Waukegan, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Waukegan, IL

🕒 Local time

20:57 8:57 PM

22:57 10:57 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

89,321

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Waukegan, IL 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

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

Waukegan, IL is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,673 in Seattle, WA and $3,882 in Waukegan, 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 $1,631 in Waukegan, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $1,314 in Waukegan, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Waukegan, IL – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

For families, Waukegan, IL is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Waukegan, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.