Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Auburn, AL and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Auburn, AL: $2,020 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Auburn, AL
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Auburn, AL Living Index
185

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

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Auburn, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,020

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,020 in Auburn, AL versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA.

Auburn, AL $2,020
Seattle, WA $3,800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,939 in Auburn, AL versus $5,702 in Seattle, WA.

Auburn, AL $2,939
Seattle, WA $5,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,858 in Auburn, AL versus $7,603 in Seattle, WA.

Auburn, AL $3,858
Seattle, WA $7,603

Living in Auburn, AL costs roughly 47% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Auburn, AL 50% above, Seattle, WA 182% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 $13.02

$25.32 $25.32

-48.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.39 $48.39

$101 $101

-52.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.31 $10.31

$14.85 $14.85

-30.57%

Cappuccino

$4.99 $4.99

$6.59 $6.59

-24.28%

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

$2.46 $2.46

$3.22 $3.22

-23.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$3.14 $3.14

-44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 $4.88

$8.18 $8.18

-40.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 $5.88

$8.03 $8.03

-26.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.21 $1.21

-9.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 $3.83

$5.12 $5.12

-25.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$6.30 $6.30

-15.40%

Eggs

$4.21 $4.21

$4.90 $4.90

-14.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.65 $11.65

$19.10 $19.10

-39.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$18.50 $18.50

-66.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.48 $10.48

$23.03 $23.03

-54.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$5.81 $5.81

-14.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.95 $1.95

-38.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$5.29 $5.29

-54.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$6.48 $6.48

-54.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$3.57 $3.57

-46.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$3.15 $3.15

-29.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.85 $2.85

-28.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.42 $2.42

-24.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 $6.57

$12.75 $12.75

-48.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 $12.60

$14.99 $14.99

-15.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$4.17 $4.17

-59.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 $5.09

$5.99 $5.99

-15.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.42 $1.42

-44.37%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$25.6K $25.6K

37.35%

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

$211 $211

$299 $299

-29.60%

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

$55.0 $55.0

$70.8 $70.8

-22.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.3 $65.3

$88.3 $88.3

-26.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 $64.2

$79.5 $79.5

-19.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$15.28 $15.28

$17.12 $17.12

-10.75%

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

$3,013 $3,013

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 $50.1

$77.2 $77.2

-35.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.02 $49.02

$55.1 $55.1

-11.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.9 $66.9

$126 $126

-46.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.5 $65.5

$163 $163

-59.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$2,464 $2,464

-48.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$917 $917

$1,956 $1,956

-53.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 $2,080

$4,711 $4,711

-55.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 $1,582

$3,550 $3,550

-55.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,235 $2,235

$7,346 $7,346

-69.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,053 $2,053

$5,048 $5,048

-59.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,311 $4,311

$6,286 $6,286

-31.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.85

-6.72%

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

Last update for Auburn, AL: October 13, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Auburn, AL

$917 45.4%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 113% $1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Auburn, AL

$331 16.4%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 38.5% $127

Groceries & Markets

Auburn, AL

$325 16.1%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 66.5% $216

Eating Out

Auburn, AL

$248 12.3%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 64.8% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Auburn, AL

$104 5.2%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 81.6% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Auburn, AL

$95 4.7%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 20% $19

Getting Around

Auburn, AL

- * 0%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

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 $1,269 in Auburn, AL and $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 46% 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: $48.00 in Auburn, AL vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $542 per month, with Auburn, AL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Auburn, AL

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

00:03 12:03 AM

2 h behind Auburn, AL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

76,143

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

Auburn, AL Seattle, WA 3,500 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Auburn, AL
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

Auburn, AL vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Auburn, AL and Seattle, WA differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($2,020 vs $3,800 including rent). Auburn, AL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 46% 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: $1,269 in Auburn, AL versus $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Auburn, AL – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,020 per month in Auburn, AL versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,020 in Auburn, AL versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Auburn, AL but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Auburn, AL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Auburn, AL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.