Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brea, CA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living costs are similar in Brea, CA and in Seattle, WA: $3,716 and $3,782 a month, rent and utilities included.

180

Cost of Living Index in Brea, CA
Learn more

Brea, CA Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Brea, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,716

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,716 in Brea, CA versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA.

Brea, CA $3,716
Seattle, WA $3,782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,124 in Brea, CA versus $5,636 in Seattle, WA.

Brea, CA $5,124
Seattle, WA $5,636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,532 in Brea, CA versus $7,489 in Seattle, WA.

Brea, CA $6,532
Seattle, WA $7,489

Living in Brea, CA costs roughly 2% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brea, CA 174% above, Seattle, WA 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.18 $25.18

$24.52 $24.52

2.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 $78.5

$98.2 $98.2

-20.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$14.79 $14.79

-17.65%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$6.52 $6.52

-14.26%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$3.23 $3.23

-16.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.17 $3.17

-37.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 $7.34

$7.85 $7.85

-6.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.46 $9.46

$8.03 $8.03

17.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.21 $1.21

-2.48%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$5.14 $5.14

2.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$6.05 $6.05

-27.11%

Eggs

$4.86 $4.86

$4.88 $4.88

-0.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.38 $15.38

$19.18 $19.18

-19.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 $8.87

$18.91 $18.91

-53.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 $13.91

$23.31 $23.31

-40.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$5.99 $5.99

-22.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.93 $1.93

-6.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$5.25 $5.25

-18.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$6.57 $6.57

-12.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.62 $3.62

-0.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.31 $3.31

-7.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.78 $2.78

-23.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.51 $2.51

-13.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.95 $11.95

$12.18 $12.18

-1.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.14 $15.14

$14.83 $14.83

2.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$4.22 $4.22

-58.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 $3.21

$5.77 $5.77

-44.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.65 $2.65

72.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.72 $1.72

5.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.28 $36.28

$29.72 $29.72

22.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.49 $1.49

5.37%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$35.9K $35.9K

-22.60%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.2K $26.2K

-0.85%

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

$218 $218

$302 $302

-27.84%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$70.1 $70.1

0.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$85.3 $85.3

-18.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.08 $30.08

$77.8 $77.8

-61.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.02 $20.02

$34.58 $34.58

-42.11%

Cinema Ticket

$19.98 $19.98

$17.84 $17.84

12.00%

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

$1,162 $1,162

$2,973 $2,973

-60.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.8K $42.8K

$31.3K $31.3K

36.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 $62.2

$76.6 $76.6

-18.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.12 $41.12

$54.1 $54.1

-23.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 $80.9

$128 $128

-36.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$164 $164

-36.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 $2,241

$2,445 $2,445

-8.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,354 $2,354

$1,947 $1,947

20.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,133 $3,133

$4,744 $4,744

-33.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,521 $3,521

$3,469 $3,469

1.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,884 $5,884

$7,367 $7,367

-20.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,172 $6,172

$5,127 $5,127

20.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,939 $9,939

$6,506 $6,506

52.76%

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 Brea, CA: 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

Brea, CA

$2.4K 63.4%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 17.3% $407

Groceries & Markets

Brea, CA

$411 11.1%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 32.6% $134

Eating Out

Brea, CA

$379 10.2%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 5.4% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brea, CA

$358 9.6%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 27.8% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Brea, CA

$130 3.5%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 46.6% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Brea, CA

$70 1.9%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 62.1% $43

Getting Around

Brea, CA

$14 * 0.4%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 849% $116

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 $2,241 in Brea, CA and $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brea, CA pays 53% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79.0 in Brea, CA vs $98.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $411 vs $546 per month, with Brea, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brea, CA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

12:57 12:57 PM

Same time as Brea, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,585

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brea, CA Seattle, WA 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Brea, CA
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

Brea, CA vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brea, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Brea, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 53% higher in Brea, CA, 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: $2,241 in Brea, CA versus $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,162 in Brea, CA 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 Brea, CA – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Brea, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Brea, CA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,716 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Brea, CA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Brea, CA 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 Brea, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.