Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Abilene, TX and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Abilene, TX: $2,161 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Abilene, TX
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Abilene, TX Living Index
184

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

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Abilene, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,161

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Abilene, TX 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 Abilene, TX and in Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,161 in Abilene, TX versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA.

Abilene, TX $2,161
Seattle, WA $3,782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,189 in Abilene, TX versus $5,636 in Seattle, WA.

Abilene, TX $3,189
Seattle, WA $5,636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,216 in Abilene, TX versus $7,489 in Seattle, WA.

Abilene, TX $4,216
Seattle, WA $7,489

Living in Abilene, TX costs roughly 43% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Abilene, TX 60% above, Seattle, WA 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.35 $18.35

$24.52 $24.52

-25.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 $66.0

$98.2 $98.2

-32.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 $9.24

$14.79 $14.79

-37.53%

Cappuccino

$5.45 $5.45

$6.52 $6.52

-16.41%

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

$2.37 $2.37

$3.23 $3.23

-26.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$3.17 $3.17

-42.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 $5.07

$7.85 $7.85

-35.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 $5.60

$8.03 $8.03

-30.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.21 $1.21

-19.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 $2.31

$5.14 $5.14

-55.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$6.05 $6.05

-6.28%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$4.88 $4.88

-23.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.41 $8.41

$19.18 $19.18

-56.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.44 $13.44

$18.91 $18.91

-28.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.50 $14.50

$23.31 $23.31

-37.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$5.99 $5.99

-43.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.93 $1.93

-47.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$5.25 $5.25

-12.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$6.57 $6.57

-21.61%

Potato (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$3.62 $3.62

21.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$3.31 $3.31

9.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.78 $2.78

-12.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.51 $2.51

-21.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.26 $9.26

$12.18 $12.18

-23.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.57 $11.57

$14.83 $14.83

-21.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$4.22 $4.22

-37.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$5.77 $5.77

-29.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.95 $2.95

-41.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.3 $52.3

$106 $106

-50.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.06 $15.06

$29.72 $29.72

-49.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.49 $1.49

-38.26%

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

$22.8K $22.8K

$35.9K $35.9K

-36.61%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.2K $26.2K

0.62%

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

$243 $243

$302 $302

-19.50%

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

$58.1 $58.1

$70.1 $70.1

-17.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.7 $62.7

$85.3 $85.3

-26.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.60 $19.60

$77.8 $77.8

-74.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$11.82 $11.82

$17.84 $17.84

-33.74%

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

$2,973 $2,973

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.63 $42.63

$76.6 $76.6

-44.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.64 $19.64

$54.1 $54.1

-63.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.9 $61.9

$128 $128

-51.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.6 $64.6

$164 $164

-60.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 $1,182

$2,445 $2,445

-51.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$945 $945

$1,947 $1,947

-51.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,842 $1,842

$4,744 $4,744

-61.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 $1,625

$3,469 $3,469

-53.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,934 $1,934

$7,367 $7,367

-73.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,776 $1,776

$5,127 $5,127

-65.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,403 $3,403

$6,506 $6,506

-47.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

6.89

-5.81%

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

Last update for Abilene, TX: October 18, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Abilene, TX

$945 43.7%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 106% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Abilene, TX

$372 17.2%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 46.8% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Abilene, TX

$364 16.8%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 25.7% $93

Eating Out

Abilene, TX

$293 13.6%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 36.3% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Abilene, TX

$85 3.9%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 124% $105

Getting Around

Abilene, TX

$59 * 2.7%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 119% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Abilene, TX

$43 2%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 163% $70

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 $1,182 in Abilene, TX and $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 91% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66.0 in Abilene, TX vs $98.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $546 per month, with Abilene, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Abilene, TX

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

05:49 5:49 AM

03:49 3:49 AM

2 h behind Abilene, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

125,182

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Abilene, TX Seattle, WA 2,530 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Abilene, TX
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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

Abilene, TX vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Abilene, TX and Seattle, WA differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($2,161 vs $3,782 including rent). Abilene, TX is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 91% lower in Seattle, WA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,182 in Abilene, TX versus $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Abilene, TX – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Abilene, TX runs roughly 103% less than in Seattle, WA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,161 in Abilene, TX versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Abilene, TX but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Abilene, TX the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Abilene, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.