Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairfield, CA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,762 a month against $3,978 in Fairfield, CA, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Fairfield, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

190

Cost of Living Index in Fairfield, CA
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Fairfield, CA Living Index
182

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

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Fairfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,978

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,978 in Fairfield, CA versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA.

Fairfield, CA $3,978
Seattle, WA $3,762

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,242 in Fairfield, CA versus $5,651 in Seattle, WA.

Fairfield, CA $5,242
Seattle, WA $5,651

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,507 in Fairfield, CA versus $7,541 in Seattle, WA.

Fairfield, CA $6,507
Seattle, WA $7,541

Living in Fairfield, CA is roughly 6% more expensive than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fairfield, CA 194% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.62 $21.62

$23.80 $23.80

-9.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$98.6 $98.6

-10.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 $12.01

$14.94 $14.94

-19.61%

Cappuccino

$6.94 $6.94

$6.79 $6.79

2.21%

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

$3.49 $3.49

$3.23 $3.23

8.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.15 $3.15

-35.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.98 $7.98

$8.21 $8.21

-2.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$7.87 $7.87

-9.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.17 $1.17

20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$4.42 $4.42

$5.29 $5.29

-16.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$5.76 $5.76

-18.75%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$4.89 $4.89

13.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.08 $14.08

$20.25 $20.25

-30.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.20 $15.20

$17.95 $17.95

-15.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.77 $17.77

$23.35 $23.35

-23.90%

Apples (1kg)

$6.11 $6.11

$5.94 $5.94

2.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.89 $1.89

37.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$5.35 $5.35

18.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$6.57 $6.57

0.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.39 $3.39

14.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.88 $2.88

22.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.89 $2.89

-19.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.43 $2.43

-15.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.87 $11.87

$12.18 $12.18

-2.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 $10.18

$15.24 $15.24

-33.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$4.38 $4.38

-51.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$5.89 $5.89

-64.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.96 $2.96

-33.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 $87.1

$109 $109

-20.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.52 $2.52

17.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.72 $1.72

13.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.14 $29.14

$29.70 $29.70

-1.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.51 $1.51

-5.30%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$36.2K $36.2K

-22.11%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.7K $25.7K

1.64%

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

$193 $193

$289 $289

-33.27%

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

$48.25 $48.25

$69.1 $69.1

-30.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$84.8 $84.8

-14.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$125 $125

$69.4 $69.4

80.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$73.7 $73.7

$35.05 $35.05

110.30%

Cinema Ticket

$14.61 $14.61

$17.97 $17.97

-18.70%

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

$1,293 $1,293

$2,819 $2,819

-54.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K $22.3K

$43.9K $43.9K

-49.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$91.2 $91.2

-43.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.08 $37.08

$55.1 $55.1

-32.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$127 $127

-15.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$162 $162

-31.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,396 $2,396

$2,579 $2,579

-7.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 $2,432

$1,943 $1,943

25.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,100 $3,100

$5,100 $5,100

-39.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,967 $2,967

$3,541 $3,541

-16.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,719 $3,719

$7,357 $7,357

-49.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,665 $3,665

$4,921 $4,921

-25.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,749 $4,749

$6,448 $6,448

-26.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

6.8

-4.71%

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

Last update for Fairfield, CA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fairfield, CA

$2.4K 61.1%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6% 20.1% $489

Groceries & Markets

Fairfield, CA

$463 11.7%

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5% 17.4% $81

Eating Out

Fairfield, CA

$369 9.3%

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6% 8.3% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fairfield, CA

$314 7.9%

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8% 41% $129

Sport & Entertainment

Fairfield, CA

$155 3.9%

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8% 31.8% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Fairfield, CA

$138 3.5%

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2% 41.8% $58

Getting Around

Fairfield, CA

$108 2.7%

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5% 22.8% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,396 in Fairfield, CA and $2,579 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $89 in Fairfield, CA vs $99 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $463 vs $544 per month, with Fairfield, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fairfield, CA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

17:48 5:48 PM

Same time as Fairfield, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,133

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Fairfield, CA Seattle, WA 1,040 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Fairfield, CA
Seattle, WA

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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

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

Seattle, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Fairfield, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Seattle, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Fairfield, CA. 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: $2,396 in Fairfield, CA versus $2,579 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,978 per month in Fairfield, CA versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA – Seattle, WA is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Fairfield, CA runs roughly 20% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.