Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

90

Cost of Living Index in Urbana, IL
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Urbana, IL Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Urbana, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,871

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Urbana, IL and in Seattle, WA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Urbana, IL and in Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Urbana, IL costs roughly 51% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.75 $14.75

$25.30 $25.30

-41.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 $60.9

$101 $101

-39.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.04 $10.04

$14.76 $14.76

-31.98%

Cappuccino

$4.85 $4.85

$6.50 $6.50

-25.38%

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

$2.23 $2.23

$3.21 $3.21

-30.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$3.14 $3.14

-43.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.59 $5.59

$7.97 $7.97

-29.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 $5.62

$8.13 $8.13

-30.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.17 $1.17

-32.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 $3.11

$5.30 $5.30

-41.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$6.40 $6.40

-53.28%

Eggs

$3.98 $3.98

$5.06 $5.06

-21.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.11 $12.11

$18.71 $18.71

-35.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.64 $8.64

$18.72 $18.72

-53.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 $14.18

$22.88 $22.88

-38.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$6.06 $6.06

-33.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.95 $1.95

-16.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$5.51 $5.51

-43.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$6.52 $6.52

-32.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.49 $3.49

-37.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$3.29 $3.29

-20.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.80 $2.80

-18.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 $1.38

$2.58 $2.58

-46.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.47 $12.47

$12.49 $12.49

-0.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.11 $15.11

$14.87 $14.87

1.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$4.19 $4.19

-50.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$5.80 $5.80

-41.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

$3.05 $3.05

-67.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.58 $2.58

18.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 $0.64

$1.64 $1.64

-60.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.53 $24.53

$30.12 $30.12

-18.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.41 $1.41

-17.02%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$36.8K $36.8K

-24.60%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.79%

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

$240 $240

$308 $308

-22.11%

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

$45.26 $45.26

$69.2 $69.2

-34.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$86.1 $86.1

-27.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$13.25 $13.25

$18.02 $18.02

-26.47%

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

$1,009 $1,009

$2,746 $2,746

-63.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K $20.0K

$30.6K $30.6K

-34.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.71 $47.71

$79.2 $79.2

-39.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 $52.5

$54.3 $54.3

-3.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 $99.8

$127 $127

-21.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$159 $159

-23.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 $862

$2,508 $2,508

-65.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 $743

$1,938 $1,938

-61.69%

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)

$1,728 $1,728

$7,374 $7,374

-76.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,749 $1,749

$5,002 $5,002

-65.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,557 $6,557

$6,470 $6,470

1.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.89

-1.02%

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

Last update for Urbana, IL: October 24, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Urbana, IL

$743 39.7%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 161% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Urbana, IL

$347 18.6%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 33.3% $116

Groceries & Markets

Urbana, IL

$338 18.1%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 61.9% $209

Eating Out

Urbana, IL

$262 14%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 55.3% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Urbana, IL

$145 7.8%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 30.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Urbana, IL

$26 * 1.4%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 325% $86

Getting Around

Urbana, IL

$10 * 0.6%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 1164% $119

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

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

Good to know

🇺🇸 Urbana, IL

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

16:36 4:36 PM

14:36 2:36 PM

2 h behind Urbana, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,250

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

Urbana, 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

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

Childcare runs $1,009 in Urbana, IL versus $2,746 in Seattle, WA. 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.