Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cary, NC and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Cary, NC: $2,842 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Cary, NC
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Cary, NC Living Index
185

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

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Cary, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,842

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,842 in Cary, NC versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA.

Cary, NC $2,842
Seattle, WA $3,800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,173 in Cary, NC versus $5,702 in Seattle, WA.

Cary, NC $4,173
Seattle, WA $5,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,505 in Cary, NC versus $7,603 in Seattle, WA.

Cary, NC $5,505
Seattle, WA $7,603

Living in Cary, NC costs roughly 25% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cary, NC 111% above, Seattle, WA 182% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.35 $19.35

$25.32 $25.32

-23.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.3 $99.3

$101 $101

-2.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 $10.42

$14.85 $14.85

-29.83%

Cappuccino

$5.06 $5.06

$6.59 $6.59

-23.22%

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

$2.03 $2.03

$3.22 $3.22

-36.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$3.14 $3.14

-41.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 $4.51

$8.18 $8.18

-44.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.39 $6.39

$8.03 $8.03

-20.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.21 $1.21

-14.05%

White Bread (500g)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.12 $5.12

7.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.18 $6.18

$6.30 $6.30

-1.90%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$4.90 $4.90

-17.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.74 $17.74

$19.10 $19.10

-7.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.62 $16.62

$18.50 $18.50

-10.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.96 $17.96

$23.03 $23.03

-22.01%

Apples (1kg)

$6.25 $6.25

$5.81 $5.81

7.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.95 $1.95

-1.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$5.29 $5.29

-29.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.90 $6.90

$6.48 $6.48

6.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.57 $3.57

-8.96%

Onion (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$3.15 $3.15

32.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.85 $2.85

4.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.42 $2.42

-1.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.06 $10.06

$12.75 $12.75

-21.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 $9.71

$14.99 $14.99

-35.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$4.17 $4.17

-44.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 $4.04

$5.99 $5.99

-32.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.04 $3.04

-16.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.7 $78.7

$110 $110

-28.49%

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)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.42 $1.42

-34.51%

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)

$28.7K $28.7K

$25.6K $25.6K

12.13%

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

$179 $179

$299 $299

-40.18%

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

$47.18 $47.18

$70.8 $70.8

-33.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 $67.6

$88.3 $88.3

-23.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$79.5 $79.5

-2.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 $21.88

$35.37 $35.37

-38.14%

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 $15.26

$17.12 $17.12

-10.86%

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

$1,455 $1,455

$3,013 $3,013

-51.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.9 $65.9

$77.2 $77.2

-14.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.18 $32.18

$55.1 $55.1

-41.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$126 $126

-4.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$163 $163

-15.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 $1,904

$2,464 $2,464

-22.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 $1,407

$1,956 $1,956

-28.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,710 $2,710

$4,711 $4,711

-42.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 $2,162

$3,550 $3,550

-39.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,859 $2,859

$7,346 $7,346

-61.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,643 $2,643

$5,048 $5,048

-47.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,032 $6,032

$6,286 $6,286

-4.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

6.85

-6.28%

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

Last update for Cary, NC: October 10, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cary, NC

$1.4K 49.5%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 39% $549

Groceries & Markets

Cary, NC

$486 17.1%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 11.3% $55

Eating Out

Cary, NC

$298 10.5%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 37.3% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cary, NC

$294 10.3%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 56% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Cary, NC

$160 5.6%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 18.7% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Cary, NC

$108 3.8%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 5% $5.4

Getting Around

Cary, NC

$89 * 3.1%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 49.8% $44

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 $1,904 in Cary, NC and $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 4% 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: $99.0 in Cary, NC vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $486 vs $542 per month, with Cary, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cary, NC

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

23:42 11:42 PM

20:42 8:42 PM

3 h behind Cary, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

176,987

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Cary, NC Seattle, WA 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Cary, NC
Seattle, WA

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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

Cary, NC vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cary, NC is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% 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: $1,904 in Cary, NC versus $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,455 in Cary, NC versus $3,013 in Seattle, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Cary, NC is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Cary, NC is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Cary, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.