Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alameda, CA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,785 a month against $4,107 in Alameda, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Alameda, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

200

Cost of Living Index in Alameda, CA
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Alameda, CA Living Index
184

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

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Alameda, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,107

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,107 per month in Alameda, CA vs $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Alameda, CA $4,107
Seattle, WA $3,785

A couple spends around $6,120 per month in Alameda, CA vs $5,688 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Alameda, CA $6,120
Seattle, WA $5,688

A family of three spends $8,134 per month in Alameda, CA vs $7,592 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Alameda, CA $8,134
Seattle, WA $7,592

Alameda, CA costs about 9% more than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Alameda, CA and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Alameda, CA by 202%, Seattle, WA by 178%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.92 $26.92

$25.30 $25.30

6.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

-0.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$14.76 $14.76

1.22%

Cappuccino

$5.79 $5.79

$6.50 $6.50

-10.92%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$3.21 $3.21

-5.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.14 $3.14

-16.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.08 $9.08

$7.97 $7.97

13.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.98 $9.98

$8.13 $8.13

22.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.17 $1.17

2.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 $3.58

$5.30 $5.30

-32.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$6.40 $6.40

-22.19%

Eggs

$5.11 $5.11

$5.06 $5.06

0.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 $10.99

$18.71 $18.71

-41.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.21 $15.21

$18.72 $18.72

-18.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.36 $22.36

$22.88 $22.88

-2.27%

Apples (1kg)

$6.24 $6.24

$6.06 $6.06

2.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.95 $1.95

41.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$5.51 $5.51

-20.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$6.52 $6.52

3.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$3.49 $3.49

-16.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$3.29 $3.29

0.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 $1.55

$2.80 $2.80

-44.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.58 $2.58

1.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.86 $11.86

$12.49 $12.49

-5.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.48 $14.48

$14.87 $14.87

-2.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$4.19 $4.19

-57.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 $3.55

$5.80 $5.80

-38.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.05 $3.05

-4.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.4 $99.4

$106 $106

-6.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.58 $2.58

58.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.64 $1.64

21.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.11 $15.11

$30.12 $30.12

-49.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.41 $1.41

7.09%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$36.8K $36.8K

-4.73%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.6K $26.6K

-1.41%

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

$134 $134

$308 $308

-56.47%

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

$53.4 $53.4

$69.2 $69.2

-22.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.6 $75.6

$86.1 $86.1

-12.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$148 $148

$76.5 $76.5

93.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.56 $31.56

$35.50 $35.50

-11.10%

Cinema Ticket

$17.06 $17.06

$18.02 $18.02

-5.33%

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

$2,462 $2,462

$2,746 $2,746

-10.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K $19.7K

$30.6K $30.6K

-35.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.07 $43.07

$79.2 $79.2

-45.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.79 $36.79

$54.3 $54.3

-32.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.4 $81.4

$127 $127

-35.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$159 $159

-11.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,262 $2,262

$2,508 $2,508

-9.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,522 $2,522

$1,938 $1,938

30.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,580 $4,580

$5,117 $5,117

-10.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,439 $4,439

$3,542 $3,542

25.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,362 $7,362

$7,374 $7,374

-0.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,445 $5,445

$5,002 $5,002

8.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,610 $6,610

$6,470 $6,470

2.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.89

-3.77%

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

Last update for Alameda, CA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alameda, CA

$2.5K 61.4%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 23.1% $583

Groceries & Markets

Alameda, CA

$461 11.2%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 18.6% $86

Eating Out

Alameda, CA

$418 10.2%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 2.8% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alameda, CA

$263 6.4%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 76% $200

Sport & Entertainment

Alameda, CA

$182 4.4%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 38.3% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Alameda, CA

$136 3.3%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 38.6% $53

Getting Around

Alameda, CA

$125 3.1%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 3.1% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,262 in Alameda, CA versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Alameda, CA versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $461 vs $547 – making Alameda, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alameda, CA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

04:58 4:58 AM

Same time as Alameda, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,624

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Alameda, CA Seattle, WA 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Alameda, CA
Seattle, WA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Alameda, CA vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,107 in Alameda, CA, $3,785 in Seattle, WA – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,161 per month in Alameda, CA and $5,677 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alameda, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,262 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,107 in Alameda, CA and $3,785 in Seattle, WA. That’s a gap of about 9%.

Kindergarten costs $2,462 per month in Alameda, CA and $2,746 in Seattle, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,107 in Alameda, CA and $3,785 in Seattle, WA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Seattle, WA costs $3,785 versus $4,107 in Alameda, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.