Chicago vs Seattle - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Seattle
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2851
$3183
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6527
$7493
🏠 One person rent
$1714
$1996
🏘️ Family rent
$2737
$3450
🍽️ Food expenses
$704
$789
🚐 Transport expenses
$212
$175
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5090
$6618
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
9 km
🎓 Higher education
100
80
😀 Quality of life
95
91
🏙️ Population
2.75M
737K

The cost of living in Chicago is 10% less expensive than in Seattle. Cities ranked 358th and 126th ($2851 vs $3183) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 300th and 94th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Chicago compared to 2.1 months in Seattle. Ranked 3rd vs 33rd best cities to live in the United States, and 18th vs 147th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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Prices in Chicago vs Seattle

Prices for goods and services in Chicago and Seattle are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Chicago Seattle
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$19.6
$20.5
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$84.3
$92.5
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12.7
$14.3
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.35
$7.95
☕ Cappuccino
$6.06
$6.46
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.85
$2.94
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2011
$2109
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1414
$1647
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3203
$3900
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2316
$2895
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$117
$182
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$180
$279
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$63.3
$74.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.32%
6.32%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3899
$7971
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2568
$5180
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.51
$2.99
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$82.6
$117
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.5
$17.1
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.12
$1.29
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.2
$1.23
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.67
$4.33
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.62
$4.83
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.11
$5.97
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.2
$21.7
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.5
$18.5
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$19.1
$22.6
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.78
$5.72
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.86
$1.92
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.96
$5.39
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.01
$6.03
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.39
$3.17
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.63
$3.34
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.79
$1.75
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.71
$3.43
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16
$16.2
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.02
$4.09
🚬 Cigarette pack
$17.4
$13.3
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.6
$9.26
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.05
$7.92
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.22
$5.8
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.31
$2.36
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$74.6
$81.7
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$17
$17.8
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$177
$167
💇 Haircut, simple
$32.8
$28.5
👖 Brand Jeans
$62.9
$76.5
👟 Brand Sneakers
$105
$119
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1582
$2124
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$27880
$30033

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2444
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2399
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2440
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2425
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2423
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2232
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2309
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2454
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2430
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2463
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2376
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2394
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2461
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2323
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2444
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2483
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2436
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2569
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2436
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2508
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2425
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1751
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2440
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2443
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2439
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2580
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1761
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2429
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2400
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2508
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2463
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2543
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2418
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2438
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2425
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2406
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2418
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1784
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2423
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2453

Cities near Seattle

Distance City Cost of living
9.1 km or 5.7 mi Mercer Island
$2843
11 km or 6.5 mi Bellevue
$3164
14 km or 8.5 mi Kirkland
$3012
15 km or 9.2 mi Tukwila
$2648
15 km or 9.5 mi Burien
$2678
16 km or 10 mi Bainbridge Island
$2827
17 km or 10 mi Shoreline
$2782
17 km or 10 mi Renton
$2621
17 km or 11 mi Redmond
$3602
17 km or 11 mi Kenmore
$2749
19 km or 12 mi SeaTac
$2783
21 km or 13 mi Bothell
$2734
22 km or 14 mi Sammamish
$2884
22 km or 14 mi Edmonds
$2728
23 km or 14 mi Issaquah
$2797
24 km or 15 mi Des Moines
$2637
24 km or 15 mi Lynnwood
$2736
24 km or 15 mi Bremerton
$2479
26 km or 16 mi Kent
$2775
30 km or 19 mi Mill Creek
$2714
33 km or 20 mi Federal Way
$2542
34 km or 21 mi Maple Valley
$2617
35 km or 21 mi Mukilteo
$2709
35 km or 22 mi Auburn
$2342
41 km or 25 mi Everett
$2727
42 km or 26 mi Tacoma
$2429
46 km or 28 mi University Place
$2722
48 km or 30 mi Puyallup
$2822
50 km or 31 mi Lake Stevens
$2670
51 km or 32 mi Lakewood
$2576
52 km or 33 mi Marysville
$2661
57 km or 35 mi Spanaway
$2378
74 km or 46 mi Lacey
$2616
76 km or 47 mi Olympia
$2592
78 km or 48 mi Sequim
$2690
80 km or 50 mi Oak Harbor
$2773
90 km or 56 mi Mount Vernon
$2475
100 km or 62 mi Port Angeles
$2580
109 km or 68 mi Centralia
$2765
119 km or 74 mi Victoria
$2098