Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashland, WI and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ashland, WI: $2,514 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Ashland, WI
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Ashland, WI Living Index
184

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

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Ashland, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,514

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,514 per month in Ashland, WI vs $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Ashland, WI $2,514
Seattle, WA $3,782

A couple spends around $3,751 per month in Ashland, WI vs $5,636 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Ashland, WI $3,751
Seattle, WA $5,636

A family of three spends $4,988 per month in Ashland, WI vs $7,489 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Ashland, WI $4,988
Seattle, WA $7,489

Ashland, WI is about 34% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ashland, WI and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Ashland, WI by 86%, Seattle, WA by 179%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.40 $15.40

$24.52 $24.52

-37.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 $67.8

$98.2 $98.2

-31.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.99 $9.99

$14.79 $14.79

-32.45%

Cappuccino

$5.21 $5.21

$6.52 $6.52

-20.09%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$3.23 $3.23

-6.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.17 $3.17

-17.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$7.85 $7.85

-24.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.67 $7.67

$8.03 $8.03

-4.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.21 $1.21

-25.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 $3.95

$5.14 $5.14

-23.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$6.05 $6.05

-42.48%

Eggs

$3.07 $3.07

$4.88 $4.88

-37.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.84 $9.84

$19.18 $19.18

-48.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 $9.54

$18.91 $18.91

-49.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.52 $13.52

$23.31 $23.31

-42.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$5.99 $5.99

-19.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.93 $1.93

-42.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.18 $6.18

$5.25 $5.25

17.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$6.57 $6.57

-23.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.62 $3.62

5.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.31 $3.31

6.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.78 $2.78

-28.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.51 $2.51

-29.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.99 $12.99

$12.18 $12.18

6.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.59 $14.59

$14.83 $14.83

-1.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$4.22 $4.22

-60.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$5.77 $5.77

-38.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.95 $2.95

-40.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.65 $2.65

-6.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.72 $1.72

-12.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.58 $30.58

$29.72 $29.72

2.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.49 $1.49

-30.87%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$35.9K $35.9K

-23.04%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.2K $26.2K

0.50%

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

$232 $232

$302 $302

-23.02%

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

$51.2 $51.2

$70.1 $70.1

-26.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.6 $64.6

$85.3 $85.3

-24.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.22 $41.22

$77.8 $77.8

-47.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$12.94 $12.94

$17.84 $17.84

-27.47%

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

$1,451 $1,451

$2,973 $2,973

-51.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.5K $27.5K

$31.3K $31.3K

-12.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.18 $42.18

$76.6 $76.6

-44.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.12 $40.12

$54.1 $54.1

-25.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 $79.8

$128 $128

-37.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$164 $164

-32.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 $1,802

$2,445 $2,445

-26.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 $1,310

$1,947 $1,947

-32.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,314 $2,314

$4,744 $4,744

-51.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,404 $2,404

$3,469 $3,469

-30.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,475 $2,475

$7,367 $7,367

-66.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,127 $2,127

$5,127 $5,127

-58.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

6.89

-8.42%

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

Last update for Ashland, WI: 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

Ashland, WI

$1.3K 52.1%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 48.6% $637

Groceries & Markets

Ashland, WI

$365 14.5%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 49.4% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashland, WI

$348 13.9%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 31.3% $109

Eating Out

Ashland, WI

$283 11.3%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 41.1% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Ashland, WI

$123 4.9%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 54.8% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Ashland, WI

$67 2.7%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 69.1% $46

Getting Around

Ashland, WI

$17 * 0.7%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 656% $112

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,802 in Ashland, WI versus $2,445 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 $68.0 in Ashland, WI versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $546 – making Ashland, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ashland, WI

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

23:48 11:48 PM

21:48 9:48 PM

2 h behind Ashland, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,684

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Ashland, WI Seattle, WA 2,370 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ashland, WI
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

Ashland, WI vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 50% more than Ashland, WI, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,771 per month in Ashland, WI and $5,673 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ashland, WI, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Ashland, WI and $98.0 in Seattle, WA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 49% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,514 in Ashland, WI and $3,782 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ashland, WI costs $2,514 versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ashland, WI. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.