Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between College Station, TX and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in College Station, TX: $2,100 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in College Station, TX
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College Station, TX Living Index
184

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

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College Station, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,100

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,100 in College Station, TX versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA.

College Station, TX $2,100
Seattle, WA $3,782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,153 in College Station, TX versus $5,636 in Seattle, WA.

College Station, TX $3,153
Seattle, WA $5,636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,207 in College Station, TX versus $7,489 in Seattle, WA.

College Station, TX $4,207
Seattle, WA $7,489

Living in College Station, TX costs roughly 44% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: College Station, TX 55% above, Seattle, WA 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.98 $14.98

$24.52 $24.52

-38.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.9 $77.9

$98.2 $98.2

-20.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.08 $12.08

$14.79 $14.79

-18.32%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$6.52 $6.52

-17.33%

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

$2.96 $2.96

$3.23 $3.23

-8.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$3.17 $3.17

-43.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 $5.03

$7.85 $7.85

-35.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.36 $7.36

$8.03 $8.03

-8.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.21 $1.21

-38.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 $3.15

$5.14 $5.14

-38.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$6.05 $6.05

-37.36%

Eggs

$2.92 $2.92

$4.88 $4.88

-40.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.82 $11.82

$19.18 $19.18

-38.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.81 $9.81

$18.91 $18.91

-48.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.96 $12.96

$23.31 $23.31

-44.40%

Apples (1kg)

$6.33 $6.33

$5.99 $5.99

5.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.93 $1.93

-16.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.43 $6.43

$5.25 $5.25

22.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$6.57 $6.57

-24.81%

Potato (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.62 $3.62

12.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.31 $3.31

-9.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.78 $2.78

-36.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.51 $2.51

-28.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 $9.89

$12.18 $12.18

-18.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.84 $13.84

$14.83 $14.83

-6.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$4.22 $4.22

-59.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 $3.86

$5.77 $5.77

-33.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.95 $2.95

-65.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.29 $20.29

$106 $106

-80.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.08 $10.08

$2.65 $2.65

280.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.72 $1.72

10.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.1 $59.1

$29.72 $29.72

98.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.49 $1.49

-38.26%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$35.9K $35.9K

-23.20%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

0.00%

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

$180 $180

$302 $302

-40.25%

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

$40.02 $40.02

$70.1 $70.1

-42.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 $55.4

$85.3 $85.3

-35.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.85 $24.85

$77.8 $77.8

-68.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.24 $17.24

$34.58 $34.58

-50.14%

Cinema Ticket

$11.16 $11.16

$17.84 $17.84

-37.44%

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

$761 $761

$2,973 $2,973

-74.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K $18.1K

$31.3K $31.3K

-42.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 $59.4

$76.6 $76.6

-22.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.19 $38.19

$54.1 $54.1

-29.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 $82.8

$128 $128

-35.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$164 $164

-25.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 $1,131

$2,445 $2,445

-53.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$945 $945

$1,947 $1,947

-51.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,946 $1,946

$4,744 $4,744

-58.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,585 $1,585

$3,469 $3,469

-54.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,185 $2,185

$7,367 $7,367

-70.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,996 $1,996

$5,127 $5,127

-61.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,396 $4,396

$6,506 $6,506

-32.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.89

-4.64%

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

Last update for College Station, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

College Station, TX

$945 45%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 106% $1K

Groceries & Markets

College Station, TX

$372 17.7%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 46.8% $174

Eating Out

College Station, TX

$280 13.3%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 42.9% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

College Station, TX

$276 13.1%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 65.8% $181

Clothing & Footwear

College Station, TX

$136 6.5%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 39.6% $54

Sport & Entertainment

College Station, TX

$47 2.3%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 141% $66

Getting Around

College Station, TX

$44 2.1%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 194% $85

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,131 in College Station, TX and $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 48% 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: $78.0 in College Station, TX vs $98.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $546 per month, with College Station, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 College Station, TX

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

03:20 3:20 AM

2 h behind College Station, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,511

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

College Station, TX Seattle, WA 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

College Station, TX
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

College Station, TX vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

College Station, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 80% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making College Station, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 48% 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: $1,131 in College Station, TX versus $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in College Station, TX runs roughly 424% less than in Seattle, WA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $761 in College Station, TX versus $2,973 in Seattle, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,100 in College Station, TX versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in College Station, TX but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes College Station, TX the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but College Station, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,100 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes College Station, TX hard to pass up.

Expats usually find College Station, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.