Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Charlottesville, VA: $2,973 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Charlottesville, VA
Learn more

Charlottesville, VA Living Index
185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Charlottesville, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,973

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,973 in Charlottesville, VA versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA.

Charlottesville, VA $2,973
Seattle, WA $3,800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,460 in Charlottesville, VA versus $5,702 in Seattle, WA.

Charlottesville, VA $4,460
Seattle, WA $5,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,948 in Charlottesville, VA versus $7,603 in Seattle, WA.

Charlottesville, VA $5,948
Seattle, WA $7,603

Living in Charlottesville, VA costs roughly 22% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Charlottesville, VA 120% above, Seattle, WA 182% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.94 $19.94

$25.32 $25.32

-21.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

-0.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.79 $12.79

$14.85 $14.85

-13.87%

Cappuccino

$4.44 $4.44

$6.59 $6.59

-32.63%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$3.22 $3.22

-15.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$3.14 $3.14

-40.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 $6.44

$8.18 $8.18

-21.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 $5.85

$8.03 $8.03

-27.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.21 $1.21

-8.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.67 $3.67

$5.12 $5.12

-28.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$6.30 $6.30

6.98%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$4.90 $4.90

3.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.05 $16.05

$19.10 $19.10

-15.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.41 $15.41

$18.50 $18.50

-16.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 $17.76

$23.03 $23.03

-22.88%

Apples (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.81 $5.81

12.22%

Banana (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.95 $1.95

96.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.38 $7.38

$5.29 $5.29

39.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.02 $8.02

$6.48 $6.48

23.77%

Potato (1kg)

$6.50 $6.50

$3.57 $3.57

82.07%

Onion (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.15 $3.15

106.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.85 $2.85

-10.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.42 $2.42

32.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.29 $9.29

$12.75 $12.75

-27.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.65 $14.65

$14.99 $14.99

-2.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$4.17 $4.17

-57.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$5.99 $5.99

-36.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 $4.09

$2.55 $2.55

60.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.64 $1.64

25.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.21 $25.21

$29.58 $29.58

-14.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.42 $1.42

-30.28%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$35.7K $35.7K

1.41%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$25.6K $25.6K

-1.58%

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

$291 $291

$299 $299

-2.59%

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

$52.7 $52.7

$70.8 $70.8

-25.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.4 $99.4

$88.3 $88.3

12.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 $69.7

$79.5 $79.5

-12.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.56 $7.56

$35.37 $35.37

-78.63%

Cinema Ticket

$17.28 $17.28

$17.12 $17.12

0.93%

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

$1,391 $1,391

$3,013 $3,013

-53.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K $30.2K

$31.6K $31.6K

-4.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.77 $47.77

$77.2 $77.2

-38.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 $49.26

$55.1 $55.1

-10.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 $94.7

$126 $126

-24.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$163 $163

-26.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 $1,967

$2,464 $2,464

-20.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,432 $1,432

$1,956 $1,956

-26.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,107 $3,107

$4,711 $4,711

-34.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$3,550 $3,550

-28.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,816 $2,816

$7,346 $7,346

-61.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,771 $2,771

$5,048 $5,048

-45.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,612 $4,612

$6,286 $6,286

-26.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.85

-3.80%

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

Last update for Charlottesville, VA: 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

Charlottesville, VA

$1.4K 48.2%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 36.6% $524

Groceries & Markets

Charlottesville, VA

$526 17.7%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 3% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Charlottesville, VA

$443 14.9%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 3.3% $15

Eating Out

Charlottesville, VA

$313 10.5%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 30.4% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Charlottesville, VA

$140 4.7%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 35.3% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Charlottesville, VA

$104 3.5%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 9.1% $9.5

Getting Around

Charlottesville, VA

$14 * 0.5%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 823% $119

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 $1,967 in Charlottesville, VA and $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 36% 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: $101 in Charlottesville, VA vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $526 vs $542 per month, with Charlottesville, VA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Charlottesville, VA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

14:30 2:30 PM

11:30 11:30 AM

3 h behind Charlottesville, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,475

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

Charlottesville, VA Seattle, WA 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Charlottesville, 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

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

Charlottesville, VA and Seattle, WA differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($2,973 vs $3,800 including rent). Charlottesville, VA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 36% 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: $1,967 in Charlottesville, VA versus $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,973 per month in Charlottesville, VA versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Charlottesville, VA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Charlottesville, VA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.