Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cincinnati, OH and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Cincinnati, OH: $2,284 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Cincinnati, OH
Learn more

Cincinnati, OH Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,284

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,284 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $2,284
Seattle, WA $3,785

A couple spends around $3,409 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $5,688 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $3,409
Seattle, WA $5,688

A family of three spends $4,534 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $7,592 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $4,534
Seattle, WA $7,592

Cincinnati, OH is about 40% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cincinnati, OH and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Cincinnati, OH by 68%, Seattle, WA by 178%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.04 $15.04

$25.30 $25.30

-40.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 $50.3

$101 $101

-50.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 $10.03

$14.76 $14.76

-32.05%

Cappuccino

$5.07 $5.07

$6.50 $6.50

-22.00%

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

$2.31 $2.31

$3.21 $3.21

-28.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$3.14 $3.14

-46.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.59 $5.59

$7.97 $7.97

-29.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.60 $7.60

$8.13 $8.13

-6.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.17 $1.17

-24.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 $3.24

$5.30 $5.30

-38.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$6.40 $6.40

-35.31%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$5.06 $5.06

-19.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 $13.06

$18.71 $18.71

-30.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.07 $11.07

$18.72 $18.72

-40.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.30 $16.30

$22.88 $22.88

-28.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$6.06 $6.06

-5.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.95 $1.95

-15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$5.51 $5.51

-20.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$6.52 $6.52

-26.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$3.49 $3.49

-26.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.29 $3.29

-4.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.80 $2.80

-27.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.58 $2.58

-25.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.75 $9.75

$12.49 $12.49

-21.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$14.87 $14.87

0.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$4.19 $4.19

-50.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$5.80 $5.80

-48.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.05 $3.05

-10.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 $107

$106 $106

0.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.58 $2.58

48.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.64 $1.64

-23.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.56 $24.56

$30.12 $30.12

-18.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.41 $1.41

-26.24%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$36.8K $36.8K

-2.54%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.6K $26.6K

-1.17%

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

$151 $151

$308 $308

-50.76%

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

$76.8 $76.8

$69.2 $69.2

11.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 $71.6

$86.1 $86.1

-16.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.11 $34.11

$76.5 $76.5

-55.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.79 $13.79

$35.50 $35.50

-61.15%

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 $15.29

$18.02 $18.02

-15.15%

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

$1,341 $1,341

$2,746 $2,746

-51.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K $19.1K

$30.6K $30.6K

-37.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.25 $45.25

$79.2 $79.2

-42.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.81 $44.81

$54.3 $54.3

-17.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 $83.2

$127 $127

-34.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$159 $159

-30.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 $1,505

$2,508 $2,508

-40.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$1,938 $1,938

-48.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,024 $3,024

$5,117 $5,117

-40.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,784 $1,784

$3,542 $3,542

-49.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,610 $3,610

$7,374 $7,374

-51.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,016 $2,016

$5,002 $5,002

-59.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,191 $4,191

$6,470 $6,470

-35.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.89

-4.35%

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

Last update for Cincinnati, OH: October 26, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cincinnati, OH

$1K 44%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 92.8% $933

Groceries & Markets

Cincinnati, OH

$389 17%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 40.8% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cincinnati, OH

$300 13.1%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 54.3% $163

Eating Out

Cincinnati, OH

$270 11.8%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 50.3% $136

Getting Around

Cincinnati, OH

$128 5.6%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 0.8% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Cincinnati, OH

$127 5.6%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 48.2% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Cincinnati, OH

$65 2.8%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 73.9% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,505 in Cincinnati, OH versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 54% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Cincinnati, OH versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $547 – making Cincinnati, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

11:14 11:14 AM

08:14 8:14 AM

3 h behind Cincinnati, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

298,800

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cincinnati, OH Seattle, WA 3,170 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cincinnati, OH
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

Cincinnati, OH vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,284 in Cincinnati, OH, $3,785 in Seattle, WA – roughly 66% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,426 per month in Cincinnati, OH and $5,677 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cincinnati, OH, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,505 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Cincinnati, OH and $101 in Seattle, WA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Cincinnati, OH, where all-in costs run around $2,284, than in Seattle, WA at $3,785. In Cincinnati, OH it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cincinnati, OH – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Cincinnati, OH. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.