Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bristol, VA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Bristol, VA: $2,033 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Bristol, VA
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Bristol, VA Living Index
184

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

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Bristol, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,033

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,033 in Bristol, VA versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Bristol, VA $2,033
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,036 in Bristol, VA versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Bristol, VA $3,036
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,040 in Bristol, VA versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Bristol, VA $4,040
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Bristol, VA costs roughly 46% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bristol, VA 49% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.01 $18.01

$25.30 $25.30

-28.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.1 $66.1

$101 $101

-34.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 $11.04

$14.76 $14.76

-25.20%

Cappuccino

$3.89 $3.89

$6.50 $6.50

-40.15%

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

$1.92 $1.92

$3.21 $3.21

-40.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$3.14 $3.14

-45.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.42 $4.42

$7.97 $7.97

-44.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.02 $6.02

$8.13 $8.13

-25.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.17 $1.17

-14.53%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$5.30 $5.30

-24.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$6.40 $6.40

-49.84%

Eggs

$3.84 $3.84

$5.06 $5.06

-24.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.41 $16.41

$18.71 $18.71

-12.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.70 $15.70

$18.72 $18.72

-16.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.46 $18.46

$22.88 $22.88

-19.32%

Apples (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$6.06 $6.06

-14.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.95 $1.95

-33.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$5.51 $5.51

-13.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$6.52 $6.52

-30.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$3.49 $3.49

6.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.29 $3.29

-16.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.80 $2.80

-29.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.58 $2.58

-11.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.77 $8.77

$12.49 $12.49

-29.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.87 $14.87

2.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$4.19 $4.19

-43.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 $3.78

$5.80 $5.80

-34.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.58 $2.58

17.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.64 $1.64

9.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.48 $29.48

$30.12 $30.12

-2.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.41 $1.41

-34.75%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$36.8K $36.8K

-3.64%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$26.6K $26.6K

-5.82%

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

$171 $171

$308 $308

-44.32%

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

$67.9 $67.9

$69.2 $69.2

-1.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$86.1 $86.1

-20.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.56 $32.56

$76.5 $76.5

-57.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$15.82 $15.82

$18.02 $18.02

-12.21%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$2,746 $2,746

-45.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K $24.3K

$30.6K $30.6K

-20.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 $50.6

$79.2 $79.2

-36.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 $37.05

$54.3 $54.3

-31.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 $65.7

$127 $127

-48.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 $88.7

$159 $159

-44.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 $1,102

$2,508 $2,508

-56.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$829 $829

$1,938 $1,938

-57.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 $1,804

$5,117 $5,117

-64.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 $1,377

$3,542 $3,542

-61.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,819 $1,819

$7,374 $7,374

-75.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,798 $1,798

$5,002 $5,002

-64.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,973 $2,973

$6,470 $6,470

-54.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

6.89

-5.95%

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

Last update for Bristol, VA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bristol, VA

$829 40.8%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 134% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Bristol, VA

$439 21.6%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 24.7% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bristol, VA

$308 15.1%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 50.5% $155

Eating Out

Bristol, VA

$273 13.4%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 49% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Bristol, VA

$109 5.4%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 73.2% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Bristol, VA

$64 3.2%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 75.2% $48

Getting Around

Bristol, VA

$12 * 0.6%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 970% $117

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 $1,102 in Bristol, VA and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $66 in Bristol, VA vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $439 vs $547 per month, with Bristol, VA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bristol, VA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

23:06 11:06 PM

20:06 8:06 PM

3 h behind Bristol, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,141

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bristol, VA Seattle, WA 3,480 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bristol, VA
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

Bristol, VA vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,033 in Bristol, VA and $3,785 in Seattle, WA, so Bristol, VA is about 46% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 54% lower in Bristol, VA. 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: $1,102 in Bristol, VA versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,509 in Bristol, VA 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 Bristol, VA – a meal for two runs $66 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,033 in Bristol, VA versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bristol, VA but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Bristol, VA 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 – Bristol, VA wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.