Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ashburn, VA: $3,317 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Ashburn, VA
Learn more

Ashburn, VA Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Ashburn, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,317

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,317 in Ashburn, VA versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Ashburn, VA $3,317
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,512 in Ashburn, VA versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Ashburn, VA $4,512
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,708 in Ashburn, VA versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Ashburn, VA $5,708
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Ashburn, VA costs roughly 12% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashburn, VA 144% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.82 $24.82

$25.30 $25.30

-1.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$101 $101

-10.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.86 $12.86

$14.76 $14.76

-12.87%

Cappuccino

$6.06 $6.06

$6.50 $6.50

-6.77%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$3.21 $3.21

-7.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$3.14 $3.14

-18.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$7.97 $7.97

1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.93 $9.93

$8.13 $8.13

22.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.17 $1.17

0.85%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$5.30 $5.30

-24.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$6.40 $6.40

-17.03%

Eggs

$5.53 $5.53

$5.06 $5.06

9.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.28 $17.28

$18.71 $18.71

-7.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.58 $15.58

$18.72 $18.72

-16.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.85 $18.85

$22.88 $22.88

-17.61%

Apples (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$6.06 $6.06

-10.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.95 $1.95

20.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.43 $6.43

$5.51 $5.51

16.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$6.52 $6.52

-9.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.49 $3.49

-18.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$3.29 $3.29

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.80 $2.80

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.58 $2.58

5.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.64 $9.64

$12.49 $12.49

-22.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.74 $15.74

$14.87 $14.87

5.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$4.19 $4.19

-46.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 $4.56

$5.80 $5.80

-21.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 $2.30

$3.05 $3.05

-24.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.7 $70.7

$106 $106

-33.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.58 $2.58

12.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.64 $1.64

-9.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.07 $22.07

$30.12 $30.12

-26.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.41 $1.41

-28.37%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$36.8K $36.8K

-3.53%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.6K $26.6K

-4.54%

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

$165 $165

$308 $308

-46.41%

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

$66.5 $66.5

$69.2 $69.2

-3.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.0 $78.0

$86.1 $86.1

-9.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 $61.1

$76.5 $76.5

-20.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.98 $11.98

$35.50 $35.50

-66.25%

Cinema Ticket

$18.19 $18.19

$18.02 $18.02

0.94%

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

$1,610 $1,610

$2,746 $2,746

-41.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.7K $32.7K

$30.6K $30.6K

6.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 $53.8

$79.2 $79.2

-32.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.28 $43.28

$54.3 $54.3

-20.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 $99.5

$127 $127

-21.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$159 $159

-22.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,010 $2,010

$2,508 $2,508

-19.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 $1,795

$1,938 $1,938

-7.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,037 $4,037

$5,117 $5,117

-21.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,250 $2,250

$3,542 $3,542

-36.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,996 $2,996

$7,374 $7,374

-59.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,103 $3,103

$5,002 $5,002

-37.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,539 $7,539

$6,470 $6,470

16.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.89

-1.02%

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

Last update for Ashburn, VA: 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

Ashburn, VA

$1.8K 54.1%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 8% $143

Groceries & Markets

Ashburn, VA

$488 14.7%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 12.1% $59

Eating Out

Ashburn, VA

$392 11.8%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 3.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashburn, VA

$309 9.3%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 49.6% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Ashburn, VA

$144 4.3%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 30.9% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Ashburn, VA

$97 2.9%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 15.4% $15

Getting Around

Ashburn, VA

$90 2.7%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 42.9% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,010 in Ashburn, VA and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashburn, VA pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90 in Ashburn, VA vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $488 vs $547 per month, with Ashburn, VA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ashburn, VA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

10:03 10:03 AM

07:03 7:03 AM

3 h behind Ashburn, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,511

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ashburn, VA Seattle, WA 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ashburn, 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

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

Ashburn, VA and Seattle, WA differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($3,317 vs $3,785 including rent). Ashburn, VA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 17% higher in Ashburn, VA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,010 in Ashburn, VA versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,610 in Ashburn, VA versus $2,746 in Seattle, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Ashburn, 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 Ashburn, VA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.