Chicago vs Seattle - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Seattle
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2667
$2908
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6807
$7212
🏠 One person rent
$1579
$1829
🏘️ Family rent
$3056
$3413
🍽️ Food expenses
$700
$707
🚐 Transport expenses
$205
$161
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$4901
$6392
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
9 km
🎓 Higher education
100
80
😀 Quality of life
96
92
🏙️ Population
2.75M
737K

The cost of living in Chicago is 8% less expensive than in Seattle. Cities ranked 483rd and 206th ($2667 vs $2908) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 425th and 168th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Chicago compared to 2.2 months in Seattle. Ranked 3rd vs 16th best cities to live in the United States, and 20th vs 102nd among the best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Chicago vs Seattle infographic

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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
$21
$19.3
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$87.3
$89.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$11.7
$12.8
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.62
$8.02
☕ Cappuccino
$5.4
$5.61
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.12
$3.13
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1974
$1947
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1280
$1538
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3828
$3856
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2594
$2943
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$102
$142
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$156
$220
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$59.1
$67.4
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.61%
6.42%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3554
$7855
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3158
$5704
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.49
$2.77
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$76.5
$97.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.6
$18
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.12
$1.25
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.02
$1.17
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.92
$3.71
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5
$4.4
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.69
$4.47
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.8
$17.1
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.8
$13.6
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$19.9
$20.5
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.97
$4.95
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.91
$1.82
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.81
$4.93
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.56
$5.33
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.34
$2.81
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.08
$3.32
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.93
$1.63
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.86
$3.04
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$14.8
$15.6
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.9
$2.79
🚬 Cigarette pack
$16.6
$12.1
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.6
$10.5
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.03
$5.98
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.65
$6.97
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.81
$2.46
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$63.1
$63.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$15
$16.1
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$126
$183
💇 Haircut, simple
$29.3
$25.7
👖 Brand Jeans
$62.2
$67.8
👟 Brand Sneakers
$95.5
$94.1
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2457
$2227
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$19423
$28179

Cost of living in other countries

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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
$2427
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2463
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2424
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2375
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2376
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2177
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2307
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2344
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2352
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2326
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2367
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2412
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2393
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2292
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2313
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2305
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2360
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2358
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2292
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2268
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2292
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1950
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2293
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2296
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2295
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2224
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1975
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2276
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2392
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2363
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2276
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2380
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2290
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2269
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2280
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2134
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2331
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$2002
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2274
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2357

Cities near Seattle

Distance City Cost of living
9.1 km or 5.7 mi Mercer Island
$2759
11 km or 6.5 mi Bellevue
$3179
14 km or 8.5 mi Kirkland
$2901
15 km or 9.2 mi Tukwila
$2542
15 km or 9.5 mi Burien
$2512
16 km or 10 mi Bainbridge Island
$2904
17 km or 10 mi Shoreline
$3091
17 km or 10 mi Renton
$2301
17 km or 11 mi Redmond
$3229
17 km or 11 mi Kenmore
$2784
19 km or 12 mi SeaTac
$2489
21 km or 13 mi Bothell
$2866
22 km or 14 mi Sammamish
$2743
22 km or 14 mi Edmonds
$2821
23 km or 14 mi Issaquah
$2655
24 km or 15 mi Des Moines
$2512
24 km or 15 mi Lynnwood
$2769
24 km or 15 mi Bremerton
$2491
26 km or 16 mi Kent
$2819
30 km or 19 mi Mill Creek
$2692
33 km or 20 mi Federal Way
$2449
34 km or 21 mi Maple Valley
$2515
35 km or 21 mi Mukilteo
$2619
35 km or 22 mi Auburn
$2172
41 km or 25 mi Everett
$2569
42 km or 26 mi Tacoma
$2348
46 km or 28 mi University Place
$2655
48 km or 30 mi Puyallup
$2774
50 km or 31 mi Lake Stevens
$2581
51 km or 32 mi Lakewood
$2417
52 km or 33 mi Marysville
$2576
57 km or 35 mi Spanaway
$2307
74 km or 46 mi Lacey
$2534
76 km or 47 mi Olympia
$2435
78 km or 48 mi Sequim
$2609
80 km or 50 mi Oak Harbor
$2612
90 km or 56 mi Mount Vernon
$2314
100 km or 62 mi Port Angeles
$2546
109 km or 68 mi Centralia
$2577
119 km or 74 mi Victoria
$2263