Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Mesa, CA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living costs are similar in Costa Mesa, CA and in Seattle, WA: $3,959 and $3,800 a month, rent and utilities included.

192

Cost of Living Index in Costa Mesa, CA
Learn more

Costa Mesa, CA Living Index
185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Costa Mesa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,959

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,959 per month in Costa Mesa, CA vs $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Costa Mesa, CA $3,959
Seattle, WA $3,800

A couple spends around $5,540 per month in Costa Mesa, CA vs $5,702 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Costa Mesa, CA $5,540
Seattle, WA $5,702

A family of three spends $7,121 per month in Costa Mesa, CA vs $7,603 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Costa Mesa, CA $7,121
Seattle, WA $7,603

Costa Mesa, CA costs about 4% more than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Costa Mesa, CA and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Costa Mesa, CA by 193%, Seattle, WA by 182%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.85 $19.85

$25.32 $25.32

-21.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 $78.6

$101 $101

-22.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.90 $14.90

$14.85 $14.85

0.34%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$6.59 $6.59

-15.17%

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

$3.40 $3.40

$3.22 $3.22

5.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.14 $3.14

-20.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.32 $7.32

$8.18 $8.18

-10.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.73 $9.73

$8.03 $8.03

21.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.21 $1.21

-7.44%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$5.12 $5.12

-21.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$6.30 $6.30

-25.56%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$4.90 $4.90

3.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 $12.82

$19.10 $19.10

-32.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.19 $20.19

$18.50 $18.50

9.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.58 $21.58

$23.03 $23.03

-6.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$5.81 $5.81

-13.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.95 $1.95

27.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$5.29 $5.29

-14.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.80 $5.80

$6.48 $6.48

-10.49%

Potato (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$3.57 $3.57

26.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$3.15 $3.15

-26.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.85 $2.85

-24.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.42 $2.42

-21.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.60 $11.60

$12.75 $12.75

-9.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 $15.06

$14.99 $14.99

0.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$4.17 $4.17

-51.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 $4.18

$5.99 $5.99

-30.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.04 $3.04

-35.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.9 $69.9

$110 $110

-36.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 $6.10

$2.55 $2.55

139.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.42 $1.42

3.52%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$35.7K $35.7K

4.08%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

0.04%

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

$218 $218

$299 $299

-27.22%

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

$68.5 $68.5

$70.8 $70.8

-3.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 $71.5

$88.3 $88.3

-19.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.81 $39.81

$79.5 $79.5

-49.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.21 $12.21

$35.37 $35.37

-65.48%

Cinema Ticket

$16.67 $16.67

$17.12 $17.12

-2.63%

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

$1,196 $1,196

$3,013 $3,013

-60.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 $57.1

$77.2 $77.2

-26.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.38 $47.38

$55.1 $55.1

-14.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$126 $126

-25.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$163 $163

-21.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,726 $2,726

$2,464 $2,464

10.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,467 $2,467

$1,956 $1,956

26.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,187 $4,187

$4,711 $4,711

-11.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,833 $3,833

$3,550 $3,550

7.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,284 $9,284

$7,346 $7,346

26.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,077 $7,077

$5,048 $5,048

40.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

0.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.85

-6.72%

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

Last update for Costa Mesa, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Mesa, CA

$2.5K 62.3%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 20.7% $511

Groceries & Markets

Costa Mesa, CA

$480 12.1%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 12.8% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Mesa, CA

$358 9%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 28.1% $101

Eating Out

Costa Mesa, CA

$350 8.9%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 16.7% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Mesa, CA

$147 3.7%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 29.1% $43

Getting Around

Costa Mesa, CA

$84 * 2.1%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 58.8% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Mesa, CA

$73 1.9%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 55.5% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,726 in Costa Mesa, CA versus $2,464 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 0% higher in Costa Mesa, CA, 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 $79.0 in Costa Mesa, CA versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $480 vs $542 – making Costa Mesa, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Costa Mesa, CA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

16:25 4:25 PM

Same time as Costa Mesa, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

109,960

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

Costa Mesa, CA Seattle, WA 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Costa Mesa, CA
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

Costa Mesa, CA vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Mesa, CA costs about 4% more than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,938 per month in Costa Mesa, CA and $5,701 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Costa Mesa, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Costa Mesa, CA and $101 in Seattle, WA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA and $3,800 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Seattle, WA costs $3,800 versus $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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