Popular cities
Chicago vs Seattle cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ Chicago
๐บ๐ธ Seattle
At a glance
- Where Seattle is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (30%โ), SIM card (17%โ)
- Where Chicago is clearly cheaper: Street food (43%โ), Local meal (23%โ), Bottled water (22%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Chicago is easier to travel (1.4 vs 1.6). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Chicago 1 vs Seattle 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Chicago | Seattle | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 17$17 | $ 22$22 | Chicago โ23% |
| Street food1 item | $ 8$8 | $ 14$14 | Chicago โ43% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 42$42 | $ 50$50 | Chicago โ16% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 5.5$5.5 | $ 6$6 | Chicago โ8% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 7.5$7.5 | $ 8$8 | Chicago โ6% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 15$15 | $ 16$16 | Chicago โ6% |
| Bottled water | $ 1.8$1.8 | $ 2.3$2.3 | Chicago โ22% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 2.7$2.7 | $ 2.8$2.8 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 17$17 | $ 16$16 | Seattle โ6% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 10$10 | $ 11$11 | Chicago โ9% |
| Transitone ride | $ 2.75$2.75 | $ 3$3 | Chicago โ8% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 57$57 | $ 40$40 | Seattle โ30% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 180$180 | $ 180$180 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 1,950$1,950 | $ 2,100$2,100 | Chicago โ7% |
| Laundry | $ 4$4 | $ 4.5$4.5 | Chicago โ11% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 30$30 | $ 25$25 | Seattle โ17% |
| Haircutcut | $ 35$35 | $ 35$35 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | $ 85$85 | $ 100$100 | Chicago โ15% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 60$60 | $ 75$75 | Chicago โ20% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 33$33 | $ 38$38 | Chicago โ13% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Chicago or Seattle?
Chicago is 8% cheaper than Seattle. Daily budget $334 vs $355; a month $6,737 vs $7,424.
Which is easier to travel, Chicago or Seattle?
Chicago is easier: Chicago 1.4/5 vs Seattle 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Chicago and Seattle?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Chicago is about $6,737 and Seattle about $7,424 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.