Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ann Arbor, MI and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ann Arbor, MI: $2,750 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Ann Arbor, MI
Learn more

Ann Arbor, MI Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Ann Arbor, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,750

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,750 in Ann Arbor, MI versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA.

Ann Arbor, MI $2,750
Seattle, WA $3,782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,198 in Ann Arbor, MI versus $5,636 in Seattle, WA.

Ann Arbor, MI $4,198
Seattle, WA $5,636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,646 in Ann Arbor, MI versus $7,489 in Seattle, WA.

Ann Arbor, MI $5,646
Seattle, WA $7,489

Living in Ann Arbor, MI costs roughly 27% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ann Arbor, MI 103% above, Seattle, WA 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.66 $18.66

$24.52 $24.52

-23.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 $59.3

$98.2 $98.2

-39.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 $11.76

$14.79 $14.79

-20.49%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$6.52 $6.52

-20.55%

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

$2.90 $2.90

$3.23 $3.23

-10.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$3.17 $3.17

-34.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 $6.47

$7.85 $7.85

-17.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 $8.14

$8.03 $8.03

1.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.21 $1.21

-18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 $3.83

$5.14 $5.14

-25.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$6.05 $6.05

-19.34%

Eggs

$3.82 $3.82

$4.88 $4.88

-21.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.36 $19.36

$19.18 $19.18

0.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.03 $13.03

$18.91 $18.91

-31.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.93 $14.93

$23.31 $23.31

-35.95%

Apples (1kg)

$6.91 $6.91

$5.99 $5.99

15.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.93 $1.93

-3.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$5.25 $5.25

-27.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$6.57 $6.57

-31.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.62 $3.62

-33.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.31 $3.31

-13.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.78 $2.78

-9.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.51 $2.51

-19.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.32 $10.32

$12.18 $12.18

-15.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.09 $15.09

$14.83 $14.83

1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$4.22 $4.22

-48.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$5.77 $5.77

-34.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.95 $2.95

-39.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.62 $45.62

$106 $106

-57.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.65 $2.65

10.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.72 $1.72

-12.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.09 $26.09

$29.72 $29.72

-12.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.49 $1.49

-28.86%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$35.9K $35.9K

-17.53%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

-0.13%

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

$201 $201

$302 $302

-33.42%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$70.1 $70.1

-16.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.0 $73.0

$85.3 $85.3

-14.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.2 $63.2

$77.8 $77.8

-18.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.46 $19.46

$34.58 $34.58

-43.72%

Cinema Ticket

$13.22 $13.22

$17.84 $17.84

-25.90%

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

$1,999 $1,999

$2,973 $2,973

-32.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K $19.6K

$31.3K $31.3K

-37.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 $55.8

$76.6 $76.6

-27.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.52 $44.52

$54.1 $54.1

-17.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$128 $128

-11.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$164 $164

-35.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 $2,077

$2,445 $2,445

-15.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 $1,375

$1,947 $1,947

-29.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,811 $3,811

$4,744 $4,744

-19.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 $2,692

$3,469 $3,469

-22.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,516 $5,516

$7,367 $7,367

-25.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,597 $2,597

$5,127 $5,127

-49.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,148 $5,148

$6,506 $6,506

-20.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

6.89

-4.21%

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

Last update for Ann Arbor, MI: October 17, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ann Arbor, MI

$1.4K 50%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 41.6% $572

Groceries & Markets

Ann Arbor, MI

$430 15.7%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 26.8% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ann Arbor, MI

$333 12.1%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 37.3% $124

Eating Out

Ann Arbor, MI

$315 11.5%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 26.7% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Ann Arbor, MI

$144 5.2%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 32.4% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Ann Arbor, MI

$90 3.3%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 26.6% $24

Getting Around

Ann Arbor, MI

$63 2.3%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 104% $66

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,077 in Ann Arbor, MI and $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 26% 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: $59.0 in Ann Arbor, MI vs $98.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $430 vs $546 per month, with Ann Arbor, MI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ann Arbor, MI

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

21:58 9:58 PM

18:58 6:58 PM

3 h behind Ann Arbor, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

123,851

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ann Arbor, MI Seattle, WA 3,060 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ann Arbor, MI
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

Ann Arbor, MI vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ann Arbor, MI and Seattle, WA differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($2,750 vs $3,782 including rent). Ann Arbor, MI is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 26% 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: $2,077 in Ann Arbor, MI 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 Ann Arbor, MI – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,750 per month in Ann Arbor, MI versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Ann Arbor, MI 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.

Safety-wise, Ann Arbor, MI 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.

Expats usually find Ann Arbor, MI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.