Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aliso Viejo, CA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living costs are similar in Aliso Viejo, CA and in Seattle, WA: $3,964 and $3,782 a month, rent and utilities included.

Aliso Viejo, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,964
/mo nomad
Seattle, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,782
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,964 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA.

  • Aliso Viejo, CA $3,964
  • Seattle, WA $3,782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,003 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $5,636 in Seattle, WA.

  • Aliso Viejo, CA $6,003
  • Seattle, WA $5,636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,043 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $7,489 in Seattle, WA.

  • Aliso Viejo, CA $8,043
  • Seattle, WA $7,489

Living in Aliso Viejo, CA is roughly 5% more expensive than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Aliso Viejo, CA 193% above, Seattle, WA 179% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Aliso Viejo, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.73 $24.73
$24.52 $24.52
0.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.4 $98.4
$98.2 $98.2
0.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.32 $14.32
$14.79 $14.79
-3.18%
Cappuccino
$5.91 $5.91
$6.52 $6.52
-9.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51 $3.51
$3.23 $3.23
8.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 $2.80
$3.17 $3.17
-11.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.22 $8.22
$7.85 $7.85
4.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.94 $9.94
$8.03 $8.03
23.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Aliso Viejo, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 $1.15
$1.21 $1.21
-4.96%
White Bread (500g)
$4.77 $4.77
$5.14 $5.14
-7.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.72 $4.72
$6.05 $6.05
-21.98%
Eggs
$5.08 $5.08
$4.88 $4.88
4.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.33 $11.33
$19.18 $19.18
-40.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$16.09 $16.09
$18.91 $18.91
-14.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.67 $17.67
$23.31 $23.31
-24.20%
Apples (1kg)
$5.50 $5.50
$5.99 $5.99
-8.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 $1.73
$1.93 $1.93
-10.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.68 $4.68
$5.25 $5.25
-10.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.62 $6.62
$6.57 $6.57
0.76%
Potato (1kg)
$3.61 $3.61
$3.62 $3.62
-0.28%
Onion (1kg)
$2.81 $2.81
$3.31 $3.31
-15.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.20 $2.20
$2.78 $2.78
-20.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.43 $2.43
$2.51 $2.51
-3.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.92 $11.92
$12.18 $12.18
-2.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.26 $15.26
$14.83 $14.83
2.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.81 $1.81
$4.22 $4.22
-57.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 $3.11
$5.77 $5.77
-46.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Aliso Viejo, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.07 $3.07
$2.95 $2.95
4.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$106 $106
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.47 $4.47
$2.65 $2.65
68.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.91 $1.91
$1.72 $1.72
11.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.04 $32.04
$29.72 $29.72
7.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.59 $1.59
$1.49 $1.49
6.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.0K $35.0K
$35.9K $35.9K
-2.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.0K $27.0K
$26.2K $26.2K
2.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Aliso Viejo, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$212 $212
$302 $302
-29.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$71.5 $71.5
$70.1 $70.1
1.95%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$71.3 $71.3
$85.3 $85.3
-16.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Aliso Viejo, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.84 $38.84
$77.8 $77.8
-50.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.58 $34.58
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.19 $17.19
$17.84 $17.84
-3.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Aliso Viejo, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,698 $1,698
$2,973 $2,973
-42.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.8K $31.8K
$31.3K $31.3K
1.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Aliso Viejo, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.5 $72.5
$76.6 $76.6
-5.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$65.1 $65.1
$54.1 $54.1
20.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 $116
$128 $128
-9.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$169 $169
$164 $164
3.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Aliso Viejo, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,908 $2,908
$2,445 $2,445
18.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,466 $2,466
$1,947 $1,947
26.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,191 $4,191
$4,744 $4,744
-11.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,644 $4,644
$3,469 $3,469
33.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,007 $7,007
$7,367 $7,367
-4.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,500 $6,500
$5,127 $5,127
26.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Aliso Viejo, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$7,985 $7,985
$6,506 $6,506
22.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.86
6.89
-0.44%

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

Last update for Aliso Viejo, CA: 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
Aliso Viejo, CA
$2.5K
Seattle, WA
$1.9K 21.1% $519
Groceries & Markets
Aliso Viejo, CA
$456
Seattle, WA
$546 19.7% $90
Eating Out
Aliso Viejo, CA
$398
Seattle, WA
$400 0.4% $1.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Aliso Viejo, CA
$355
Seattle, WA
$457 28.9% $103
Clothing & Footwear
Aliso Viejo, CA
$190
Seattle, WA
$190 0.1% $0.1
Sport & Entertainment
Aliso Viejo, CA
$73
Seattle, WA
$114 55% $40
Getting Around
Aliso Viejo, CA
$26 *
Seattle, WA
$129 391% $103

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 $2,908 in Aliso Viejo, CA and $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aliso Viejo, CA pays 23% 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: $98.0 in Aliso Viejo, CA vs $98.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $456 vs $546 per month, with Aliso Viejo, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Aliso Viejo, CA
🇺🇸 Seattle, WA
🕒 Local time
01:11 1:11 AM
01:11 1:11 AM
Same time as Aliso Viejo, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
41,489
737,015
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Aliso Viejo, CA Seattle, WA 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Aliso Viejo, 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
Aliso Viejo, CA vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Aliso Viejo, CA and in Seattle, WA?
Aliso Viejo, CA and Seattle, WA differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($3,964 vs $3,782 including rent). Seattle, WA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Aliso Viejo, CA or Seattle, WA?
Average pay runs 23% higher in Aliso Viejo, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Aliso Viejo, CA and in Seattle, WA?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,908 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Aliso Viejo, CA pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Aliso Viejo, CA or Seattle, WA?
All in, you'll spend $3,964 per month in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is feasible on a $2,500 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Aliso Viejo, CA and Seattle, WA?
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.
Is Aliso Viejo, CA or Seattle, WA safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Aliso Viejo, CA and Seattle, WA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Aliso Viejo, CA or Seattle, WA?
Expats usually find Seattle, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Aliso Viejo, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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