Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bismarck, ND and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Bismarck, ND: $2,403 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Bismarck, ND
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Bismarck, ND Living Index
184

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

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Bismarck, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,403

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,403 in Bismarck, ND versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA.

Bismarck, ND $2,403
Seattle, WA $3,782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,341 in Bismarck, ND versus $5,636 in Seattle, WA.

Bismarck, ND $3,341
Seattle, WA $5,636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,278 in Bismarck, ND versus $7,489 in Seattle, WA.

Bismarck, ND $4,278
Seattle, WA $7,489

Living in Bismarck, ND costs roughly 36% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bismarck, ND 77% above, Seattle, WA 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.19 $30.19

$24.52 $24.52

23.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 $69.8

$98.2 $98.2

-28.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.41 $17.41

$14.79 $14.79

17.71%

Cappuccino

$6.22 $6.22

$6.52 $6.52

-4.60%

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

$2.50 $2.50

$3.23 $3.23

-22.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$3.17 $3.17

-40.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 $5.55

$7.85 $7.85

-29.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 $6.99

$8.03 $8.03

-12.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.21 $1.21

-14.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 $2.69

$5.14 $5.14

-47.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$6.05 $6.05

-65.62%

Eggs

$2.73 $2.73

$4.88 $4.88

-44.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$19.18 $19.18

-59.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.21 $13.21

$18.91 $18.91

-30.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.90 $15.90

$23.31 $23.31

-31.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$5.99 $5.99

-42.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.93 $1.93

-10.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$5.25 $5.25

-43.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$6.57 $6.57

-35.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$3.62 $3.62

-47.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.31 $3.31

-15.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.78 $2.78

-21.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.51 $2.51

7.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.74 $8.74

$12.18 $12.18

-28.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.97 $19.97

$14.83 $14.83

34.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$4.22 $4.22

-54.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 $4.05

$5.77 $5.77

-29.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.49 $1.49

-34.90%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$35.9K $35.9K

-26.16%

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

$22.5K $22.5K

$26.2K $26.2K

-14.24%

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

$208 $208

$302 $302

-31.02%

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

$71.8 $71.8

$70.1 $70.1

2.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.1 $82.1

$85.3 $85.3

-3.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 $41.78

$77.8 $77.8

-46.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$10.89 $10.89

$17.84 $17.84

-38.96%

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

$804 $804

$2,973 $2,973

-72.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 $65.1

$76.6 $76.6

-14.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 $95.2

$128 $128

-25.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 $81.2

$164 $164

-50.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 $1,171

$2,445 $2,445

-52.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 $1,077

$1,947 $1,947

-44.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 $1,628

$4,744 $4,744

-65.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,428 $1,428

$3,469 $3,469

-58.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,226 $2,226

$7,367 $7,367

-69.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,054 $2,054

$5,127 $5,127

-59.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,393 $4,393

$6,506 $6,506

-32.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

6.89

-0.73%

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

Last update for Bismarck, ND: October 18, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bismarck, ND

$1.1K 44.8%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 80.8% $870

Eating Out

Bismarck, ND

$428 17.8%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 6.5% $28

Groceries & Markets

Bismarck, ND

$364 15.2%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 49.8% $181

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bismarck, ND

$362 15.1%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 26.3% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Bismarck, ND

$109 * 4.5%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 75.1% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Bismarck, ND

$64 2.7%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 78.6% $50

Getting Around

Bismarck, ND

- * 0%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

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 $1,171 in Bismarck, ND and $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 48% 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: $70.0 in Bismarck, ND vs $98.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $546 per month, with Bismarck, ND cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bismarck, ND

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

00:37 12:37 AM

2 h behind Bismarck, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,333

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

Bismarck, ND Seattle, WA 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bismarck, ND
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

Bismarck, ND vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bismarck, ND and Seattle, WA differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($2,403 vs $3,782 including rent). Bismarck, ND is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 48% 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: $1,171 in Bismarck, ND versus $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $804 in Bismarck, ND versus $2,973 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 Bismarck, ND – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,403 in Bismarck, ND versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bismarck, ND but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Bismarck, ND 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.

Safety-wise, Bismarck, ND 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 Bismarck, ND gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.