Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Cleveland, OH: $2,437 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Cleveland, OH
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Cleveland, OH Living Index
184

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

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Cleveland, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,437

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,437 per month in Cleveland, OH vs $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Cleveland, OH $2,437
Seattle, WA $3,744

A couple spends around $3,635 per month in Cleveland, OH vs $5,703 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Cleveland, OH $3,635
Seattle, WA $5,703

A family of three spends $4,834 per month in Cleveland, OH vs $7,661 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Cleveland, OH $4,834
Seattle, WA $7,661

Cleveland, OH is about 35% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cleveland, OH and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Cleveland, OH by 82%, Seattle, WA by 179%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.22 $18.22

$24.56 $24.56

-25.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 $63.2

$99.5 $99.5

-36.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 $10.96

$15.30 $15.30

-28.37%

Cappuccino

$5.62 $5.62

$6.62 $6.62

-15.11%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$3.25 $3.25

-19.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.11 $3.11

-34.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$7.77 $7.77

-24.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.81 $7.81

$7.93 $7.93

-1.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.21 $1.21

-28.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 $3.24

$4.94 $4.94

-34.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$6.17 $6.17

-27.07%

Eggs

$4.46 $4.46

$4.96 $4.96

-10.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.31 $13.31

$19.00 $19.00

-29.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.39 $12.39

$18.69 $18.69

-33.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.91 $19.91

$23.14 $23.14

-13.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$5.93 $5.93

-12.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.94 $1.94

-16.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$5.19 $5.19

-23.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$6.55 $6.55

-41.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.62 $3.62

-20.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.16 $3.16

3.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.91 $2.91

-25.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.38 $2.38

-13.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 $9.90

$12.36 $12.36

-19.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.21 $15.21

$15.02 $15.02

1.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$4.30 $4.30

-40.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 $3.55

$5.69 $5.69

-37.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.05 $3.05

-19.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.6 $93.6

$109 $109

-13.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.64 $2.64

4.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.74 $1.74

-12.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.22 $26.22

$30.02 $30.02

-12.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.46 $1.46

-28.77%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$36.7K $36.7K

-0.65%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

0.44%

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

$217 $217

$299 $299

-27.59%

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

$65.6 $65.6

$69.7 $69.7

-5.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$90.1 $90.1

-17.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.28 $37.28

$80.0 $80.0

-53.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.98 $1.98

$35.62 $35.62

-94.44%

Cinema Ticket

$13.86 $13.86

$17.33 $17.33

-20.02%

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

$1,125 $1,125

$2,986 $2,986

-62.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K $18.4K

$31.3K $31.3K

-41.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.8 $60.8

$77.7 $77.7

-21.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.61 $38.61

$54.9 $54.9

-29.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 $98.7

$126 $126

-21.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$165 $165

-28.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,634 $1,634

$2,407 $2,407

-32.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 $1,026

$1,963 $1,963

-47.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,951 $2,951

$4,788 $4,788

-38.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,958 $1,958

$3,561 $3,561

-45.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,644 $1,644

$7,430 $7,430

-77.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,580 $1,580

$5,010 $5,010

-68.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,689 $3,689

$6,280 $6,280

-41.26%

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 Cleveland, OH: October 5, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cleveland, OH

$1K 42.4%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6% 91.4% $937

Groceries & Markets

Cleveland, OH

$409 16.9%

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2% 32.4% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cleveland, OH

$357 14.7%

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1% 28.7% $102

Eating Out

Cleveland, OH

$310 12.8%

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6% 29.8% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Cleveland, OH

$142 5.9%

Seattle, WA

$191 5% 34.3% $49

Getting Around

Cleveland, OH

$114 4.7%

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5% 16% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Cleveland, OH

$65 2.7%

Seattle, WA

$115 3% 76.4% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,634 in Cleveland, OH versus $2,407 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 70% 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 $63.0 in Cleveland, OH versus $99.0 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $541 – making Cleveland, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cleveland, OH

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

05:50 5:50 AM

02:50 2:50 AM

3 h behind Cleveland, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

367,991

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Cleveland, OH Seattle, WA 3,250 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cleveland, 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

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

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,655 per month in Cleveland, OH and $5,616 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cleveland, OH, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Cleveland, OH and $99.0 in Seattle, WA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,437 in Cleveland, OH and $3,744 in Seattle, WA. That's a gap of about 54%.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,437 in Cleveland, OH and $3,744 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Cleveland, 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 Cleveland, 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.