Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Augusta, ME and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Augusta, ME: $2,388 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Augusta, ME
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Augusta, ME Living Index
184

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

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Augusta, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,388

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,388 in Augusta, ME versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Augusta, ME $2,388
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,317 in Augusta, ME versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Augusta, ME $3,317
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,246 in Augusta, ME versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Augusta, ME $4,246
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Augusta, ME costs roughly 37% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Augusta, ME 75% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.90 $19.90

$25.30 $25.30

-21.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 $53.1

$101 $101

-47.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 $10.39

$14.76 $14.76

-29.61%

Cappuccino

$5.40 $5.40

$6.50 $6.50

-16.92%

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

$2.36 $2.36

$3.21 $3.21

-26.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$3.14 $3.14

-49.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 $5.02

$7.97 $7.97

-37.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 $7.72

$8.13 $8.13

-5.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.17 $1.17

-2.56%

White Bread (500g)

$4.56 $4.56

$5.30 $5.30

-13.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$6.40 $6.40

-77.34%

Eggs

$3.96 $3.96

$5.06 $5.06

-21.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 $15.09

$18.71 $18.71

-19.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.12 $14.12

$18.72 $18.72

-24.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.52 $19.52

$22.88 $22.88

-14.69%

Apples (1kg)

$7.48 $7.48

$6.06 $6.06

23.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.95 $1.95

-32.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$5.51 $5.51

-43.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$6.52 $6.52

-29.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$3.49 $3.49

-33.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$3.29 $3.29

-13.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.80 $2.80

-25.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.58 $2.58

-29.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 $11.98

$12.49 $12.49

-4.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.99 $12.99

$14.87 $14.87

-12.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$4.19 $4.19

-62.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 $1.55

$5.80 $5.80

-73.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.58 $2.58

-1.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.64 $1.64

-22.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.55 $28.55

$30.12 $30.12

-5.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.41 $1.41

-36.17%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$36.8K $36.8K

-19.63%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$26.6K $26.6K

-8.72%

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

$243 $243

$308 $308

-21.02%

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

$45.59 $45.59

$69.2 $69.2

-34.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.0 $61.0

$86.1 $86.1

-29.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.60 $22.60

$76.5 $76.5

-70.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$18.02 $18.02

-21.59%

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

$2,656 $2,656

$2,746 $2,746

-3.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.6K $36.6K

$30.6K $30.6K

19.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 $73.5

$79.2 $79.2

-7.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 $50.9

$54.3 $54.3

-6.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$127 $127

-10.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 $154

$159 $159

-2.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 $1,200

$2,508 $2,508

-52.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 $1,078

$1,938 $1,938

-44.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 $1,602

$5,117 $5,117

-68.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 $1,473

$3,542 $3,542

-58.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,386 $2,386

$7,374 $7,374

-67.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,378 $2,378

$5,002 $5,002

-52.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,948 $1,948

$6,470 $6,470

-69.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.3

6.89

-8.56%

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

Last update for Augusta, ME: October 24, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Augusta, ME

$1.1K 45.2%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 79.8% $860

Groceries & Markets

Augusta, ME

$413 17.3%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 32.4% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Augusta, ME

$349 14.6%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 32.4% $113

Eating Out

Augusta, ME

$312 13%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 30.4% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Augusta, ME

$176 7.4%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Augusta, ME

$51 2.1%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 121% $62

Getting Around

Augusta, ME

$8.9 * 0.4%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 1351% $120

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 $1,200 in Augusta, ME and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 3.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $53 in Augusta, ME vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $413 vs $547 per month, with Augusta, ME cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Augusta, ME

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

14:44 2:44 PM

11:44 11:44 AM

3 h behind Augusta, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

194,343

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Augusta, ME Seattle, WA 4,000 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Augusta, ME
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

Augusta, ME vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Augusta, ME and Seattle, WA differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($2,388 vs $3,785 including rent). Augusta, ME is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 70% lower in Augusta, ME. 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: $1,200 in Augusta, ME versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,656 in Augusta, ME versus $2,746 in Seattle, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Augusta, ME – a meal for two runs $53 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,388 in Augusta, ME versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Augusta, ME but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Augusta, ME 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.

It comes down to priorities – Augusta, ME wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.