Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dana Point, CA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,782 a month against $4,372 in Dana Point, CA, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Dana Point, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

211

Cost of Living Index in Dana Point, CA
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Dana Point, CA Living Index
184

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

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Dana Point, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,372

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,372 per month in Dana Point, CA vs $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Dana Point, CA $4,372
Seattle, WA $3,782

A couple spends around $5,964 per month in Dana Point, CA vs $5,636 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Dana Point, CA $5,964
Seattle, WA $5,636

A family of three spends $7,557 per month in Dana Point, CA vs $7,489 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Dana Point, CA $7,557
Seattle, WA $7,489

Dana Point, CA costs about 16% more than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Dana Point, CA and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Dana Point, CA by 223%, Seattle, WA by 179%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.21 $25.21

$24.52 $24.52

2.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$98.2 $98.2

2.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.52 $14.52

$14.79 $14.79

-1.83%

Cappuccino

$6.04 $6.04

$6.52 $6.52

-7.36%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.23 $3.23

13.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.17 $3.17

-16.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 $7.90

$7.85 $7.85

0.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.97 $9.97

$8.03 $8.03

24.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.21 $1.21

5.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.83 $4.83

$5.14 $5.14

-6.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$6.05 $6.05

-22.15%

Eggs

$3.97 $3.97

$4.88 $4.88

-18.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.26 $11.26

$19.18 $19.18

-41.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.49 $13.49

$18.91 $18.91

-28.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.71 $15.71

$23.31 $23.31

-32.60%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$5.99 $5.99

-16.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.93 $1.93

14.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$5.25 $5.25

-33.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$6.57 $6.57

-18.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.62 $3.62

-19.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.31 $3.31

-16.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.78 $2.78

-28.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.51 $2.51

-2.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.99 $11.99

$12.18 $12.18

-1.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 $15.27

$14.83 $14.83

2.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$4.22 $4.22

-28.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$5.77 $5.77

-51.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.95 $2.95

-31.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.65 $2.65

19.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.72 $1.72

10.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.63 $32.63

$29.72 $29.72

9.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.49 $1.49

-14.09%

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

$32.8K $32.8K

$35.9K $35.9K

-8.58%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.2K $26.2K

0.37%

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

$255 $255

$302 $302

-15.56%

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

$77.4 $77.4

$70.1 $70.1

10.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.5 $78.5

$85.3 $85.3

-7.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 $41.94

$77.8 $77.8

-46.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.15 $20.15

$34.58 $34.58

-41.73%

Cinema Ticket

$19.64 $19.64

$17.84 $17.84

10.09%

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

$1,690 $1,690

$2,973 $2,973

-43.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.3K $32.3K

$31.3K $31.3K

3.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 $65.4

$76.6 $76.6

-14.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.2 $52.2

$54.1 $54.1

-3.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$128 $128

-11.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 $177

$164 $164

8.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,986 $2,986

$2,445 $2,445

22.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,847 $2,847

$1,947 $1,947

46.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,264 $5,264

$4,744 $4,744

10.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,148 $4,148

$3,469 $3,469

19.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,686 $2,686

$7,367 $7,367

-63.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,351 $2,351

$5,127 $5,127

-54.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,504 $7,504

$6,506 $6,506

15.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.89

-4.79%

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

Last update for Dana Point, CA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dana Point, CA

$2.8K 65.1%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 31.6% $900

Groceries & Markets

Dana Point, CA

$426 9.8%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 28% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dana Point, CA

$411 9.4%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 11.3% $46

Eating Out

Dana Point, CA

$402 9.2%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 0.7% $2.7

Clothing & Footwear

Dana Point, CA

$184 4.2%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 3.6% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Dana Point, CA

$81 1.9%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 39.8% $32

Getting Around

Dana Point, CA

$21 * 0.5%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 524% $109

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,986 in Dana Point, CA versus $2,445 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 15% higher in Dana Point, 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 $101 in Dana Point, CA versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. Groceries tell a different story – $426 in Dana Point, CA vs $546 in Seattle, WA – so Dana Point, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dana Point, CA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

00:37 12:37 AM

Same time as Dana Point, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,351

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Dana Point, CA Seattle, WA 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dana Point, CA
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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

Dana Point, CA vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dana Point, CA is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,557 per month in Dana Point, CA and $5,673 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,372 in Dana Point, CA and $3,782 in Seattle, WA. That's a gap of about 16%.

Kindergarten costs $1,690 per month in Dana Point, CA and $2,973 in Seattle, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,372 in Dana Point, CA and $3,782 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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, Dana Point, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.