Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandria, VA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria, VA: $3,249 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria, VA
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Alexandria, VA Living Index
185

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

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Alexandria, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,249

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,249 in Alexandria, VA versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA.

Alexandria, VA $3,249
Seattle, WA $3,800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,722 in Alexandria, VA versus $5,702 in Seattle, WA.

Alexandria, VA $4,722
Seattle, WA $5,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,195 in Alexandria, VA versus $7,603 in Seattle, WA.

Alexandria, VA $6,195
Seattle, WA $7,603

Living in Alexandria, VA costs roughly 15% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alexandria, VA 141% above, Seattle, WA 182% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.18 $20.18

$25.32 $25.32

-20.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 $103

$101 $101

1.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.83 $11.83

$14.85 $14.85

-20.34%

Cappuccino

$4.52 $4.52

$6.59 $6.59

-31.41%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$3.22 $3.22

-15.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$3.14 $3.14

-28.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.58 $6.58

$8.18 $8.18

-19.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.86 $8.86

$8.03 $8.03

10.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.21 $1.21

-2.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 $3.88

$5.12 $5.12

-24.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$6.30 $6.30

-39.68%

Eggs

$4.53 $4.53

$4.90 $4.90

-7.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.40 $16.40

$19.10 $19.10

-14.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.22 $15.22

$18.50 $18.50

-17.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.04 $20.04

$23.03 $23.03

-12.98%

Apples (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$5.81 $5.81

4.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.95 $1.95

-31.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.55 $7.55

$5.29 $5.29

42.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.84 $7.84

$6.48 $6.48

20.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.57 $3.57

-40.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$3.15 $3.15

-17.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.85 $2.85

-4.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.42 $2.42

0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.34 $9.34

$12.75 $12.75

-26.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.35 $14.35

$14.99 $14.99

-4.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$4.17 $4.17

-58.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

$5.99 $5.99

-38.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.04 $3.04

0.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.5 $51.5

$110 $110

-53.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.55 $2.55

60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.64 $1.64

20.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.13 $25.13

$29.58 $29.58

-15.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.42 $1.42

-28.17%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$35.7K $35.7K

2.83%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

0.23%

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

$240 $240

$299 $299

-19.60%

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

$53.7 $53.7

$70.8 $70.8

-24.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.2 $77.2

$88.3 $88.3

-12.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.4 $72.4

$79.5 $79.5

-8.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$18.33 $18.33

$17.12 $17.12

7.07%

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

$2,034 $2,034

$3,013 $3,013

-32.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$65.5K $65.5K

$31.6K $31.6K

107.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.10 $48.10

$77.2 $77.2

-37.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.90 $47.90

$55.1 $55.1

-13.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$126 $126

-3.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$163 $163

-17.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,315 $2,315

$2,464 $2,464

-6.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 $1,737

$1,956 $1,956

-11.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 $3,390

$4,711 $4,711

-28.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,776 $2,776

$3,550 $3,550

-21.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,743 $6,743

$7,346 $7,346

-8.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,049 $4,049

$5,048 $5,048

-19.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,951 $5,951

$6,286 $6,286

-5.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.85

-3.07%

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

Last update for Alexandria, VA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alexandria, VA

$1.7K 53.5%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 12.6% $219

Groceries & Markets

Alexandria, VA

$474 14.6%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 14.3% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alexandria, VA

$371 11.4%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 23.4% $87

Eating Out

Alexandria, VA

$322 9.9%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 27% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Alexandria, VA

$158 4.9%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 19.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Alexandria, VA

$109 3.4%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 4.3% $4.7

Getting Around

Alexandria, VA

$78 2.4%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 71.2% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,315 in Alexandria, VA and $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 6% 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: $103 in Alexandria, VA vs $101 in Seattle, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $474 vs $542, with Alexandria, VA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alexandria, VA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

13:25 1:25 PM

10:25 10:25 AM

3 h behind Alexandria, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

160,035

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Alexandria, VA Seattle, WA 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Alexandria, VA
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

Alexandria, VA vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria, VA and Seattle, WA differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($3,249 vs $3,800 including rent). Alexandria, VA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% 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: $2,315 in Alexandria, VA versus $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,249 per month in Alexandria, VA versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Alexandria, VA runs roughly 114% less than in Seattle, WA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Alexandria, VA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Alexandria, VA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.