Chicago vs Seattle - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Seattle
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2678
$3015
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6655
$7449
🏠 One person rent
$1596
$1896
🏘️ Family rent
$2946
$3549
🍽️ Food expenses
$700
$746
🚐 Transport expenses
$200
$160
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$4876
$6742
😷 Air quality
Moderate
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 11% less expensive than in Seattle. Cities ranked 529th and 158th ($2678 vs $3015) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 483rd and 140th 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 15th best cities to live in the United States, and 23rd vs 98th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
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
$21.9
$21.9
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$90.6
$90.4
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12
$13.6
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7
$7.98
 Cappuccino
$5.4
$5.55
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.95
$2.97
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1841
$2086
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1327
$1567
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3729
$3947
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2474
$3067
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$104
$157
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$159
$237
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$62.1
$68.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.68%
6.44%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3391
$6966
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2689
$5351
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.48
$2.73
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$75.1
$96.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.1
$18
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.06
$1.16
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.94
$1.18
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.68
$4.03
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.61
$4.44
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.13
$4.89
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.5
$20.3
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.2
$14.6
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.3
$20.4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.67
$5.19
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.84
$2.38
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.36
$5.37
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.43
$5.76
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.18
$2.64
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.71
$3.47
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.81
$1.56
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.85
$2.91
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$14.9
$17.8
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.04
$3.15
🚬 Cigarette pack
$15
$12
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.5
$10.4
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.02
$5.95
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.63
$6.98
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.76
$2.49
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$63
$65.6
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$14.8
$16
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$127
$183
💇 Haircut, simple
$29.8
$25.9
👖 Brand Jeans
$59
$68.9
👟 Brand Sneakers
$94.4
$101
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2114
$2185
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$24502
$29407

Cost of living in other countries

ChicagoSeattle

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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
$2425
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2421
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2510
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2426
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2444
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2194
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2256
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2401
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2418
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2384
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2314
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2334
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2389
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2264
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2377
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2392
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2363
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2509
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2359
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2393
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2360
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1938
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2362
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2363
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2344
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2396
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1948
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2350
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2378
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2446
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2369
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2506
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2342
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2367
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2342
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2227
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2345
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1954
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2351
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2371

Cities near Seattle

Distance City Cost of living
9.1 km or 5.7 mi Mercer Island
$2826
11 km or 6.5 mi Bellevue
$3273
14 km or 8.5 mi Kirkland
$2882
15 km or 9.2 mi Tukwila
$2624
15 km or 9.5 mi Burien
$2642
16 km or 10 mi Bainbridge Island
$2810
17 km or 10 mi Shoreline
$2973
17 km or 10 mi Renton
$2595
17 km or 11 mi Redmond
$3239
17 km or 11 mi Kenmore
$2718
19 km or 12 mi SeaTac
$2741
21 km or 13 mi Bothell
$2625
22 km or 14 mi Sammamish
$2759
22 km or 14 mi Edmonds
$2785
23 km or 14 mi Issaquah
$2606
24 km or 15 mi Des Moines
$2623
24 km or 15 mi Lynnwood
$2726
24 km or 15 mi Bremerton
$2462
26 km or 16 mi Kent
$2784
30 km or 19 mi Mill Creek
$2642
33 km or 20 mi Federal Way
$2532
34 km or 21 mi Maple Valley
$2579
35 km or 21 mi Mukilteo
$2637
35 km or 22 mi Auburn
$2338
41 km or 25 mi Everett
$2589
42 km or 26 mi Tacoma
$2517
46 km or 28 mi University Place
$2604
48 km or 30 mi Puyallup
$2644
50 km or 31 mi Lake Stevens
$2604
51 km or 32 mi Lakewood
$2449
52 km or 33 mi Marysville
$2598
57 km or 35 mi Spanaway
$2460
74 km or 46 mi Lacey
$2571
76 km or 47 mi Olympia
$2406
78 km or 48 mi Sequim
$2692
80 km or 50 mi Oak Harbor
$2751
90 km or 56 mi Mount Vernon
$2542
100 km or 62 mi Port Angeles
$2527
109 km or 68 mi Centralia
$2523
119 km or 74 mi Victoria
$2093