Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Collins, CO and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Collins, CO: $2,816 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Fort Collins, CO
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Fort Collins, CO Living Index
184

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

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Fort Collins, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,816

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Fort Collins, CO $2,816
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,951 in Fort Collins, CO versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Fort Collins, CO $3,951
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,085 in Fort Collins, CO versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Fort Collins, CO $5,085
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Fort Collins, CO costs roughly 26% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fort Collins, CO 107% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.88 $22.88

$25.30 $25.30

-9.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 $79.0

$101 $101

-21.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.24 $11.24

$14.76 $14.76

-23.85%

Cappuccino

$6.22 $6.22

$6.50 $6.50

-4.31%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$3.21 $3.21

-20.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$3.14 $3.14

-34.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.05 $7.05

$7.97 $7.97

-11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$8.13 $8.13

-15.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.17 $1.17

-11.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 $2.99

$5.30 $5.30

-43.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$6.40 $6.40

-56.41%

Eggs

$4.13 $4.13

$5.06 $5.06

-18.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.15 $11.15

$18.71 $18.71

-40.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 $9.23

$18.72 $18.72

-50.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 $19.48

$22.88 $22.88

-14.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$6.06 $6.06

-17.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.95 $1.95

-22.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$5.51 $5.51

-12.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$6.52 $6.52

-17.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.49 $3.49

2.58%

Onion (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$3.29 $3.29

41.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.80 $2.80

-16.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.58 $2.58

-31.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.32 $10.32

$12.49 $12.49

-17.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.64 $16.64

$14.87 $14.87

11.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$4.19 $4.19

-41.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$5.80 $5.80

-53.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.58 $2.58

-5.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.64 $1.64

15.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.61 $24.61

$30.12 $30.12

-18.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.41 $1.41

-27.66%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$36.8K $36.8K

-22.94%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.6K $26.6K

-1.63%

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

$210 $210

$308 $308

-31.69%

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

$56.6 $56.6

$69.2 $69.2

-18.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$86.1 $86.1

-18.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 $51.8

$76.5 $76.5

-32.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.76 $29.76

$35.50 $35.50

-16.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 $11.96

$18.02 $18.02

-33.63%

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

$1,288 $1,288

$2,746 $2,746

-53.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K $12.6K

$30.6K $30.6K

-58.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 $59.1

$79.2 $79.2

-25.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.5 $68.5

$54.3 $54.3

26.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.6 $81.6

$127 $127

-35.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$159 $159

-28.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,817 $1,817

$2,508 $2,508

-27.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,499 $1,499

$1,938 $1,938

-22.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,837 $2,837

$5,117 $5,117

-44.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 $2,143

$3,542 $3,542

-39.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,076 $4,076

$7,374 $7,374

-44.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,793 $2,793

$5,002 $5,002

-44.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,503 $4,503

$6,470 $6,470

-30.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.89

-1.74%

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

Last update for Fort Collins, CO: October 26, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort Collins, CO

$1.5K 53.2%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 29.3% $439

Groceries & Markets

Fort Collins, CO

$388 13.8%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 41% $159

Eating Out

Fort Collins, CO

$359 12.7%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 13.2% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Collins, CO

$337 12%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 37.2% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Collins, CO

$145 5.2%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 29.7% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Collins, CO

$76 2.7%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 48.6% $37

Getting Around

Fort Collins, CO

$12 * 0.4%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 981% $117

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,817 in Fort Collins, CO and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 44% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $79 in Fort Collins, CO vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $547 per month, with Fort Collins, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Collins, CO

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

12:55 12:55 PM

11:55 11:55 AM

1 h behind Fort Collins, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

148,612

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

Fort Collins, CO Seattle, WA 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Fort Collins, CO
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

Fort Collins, CO vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fort Collins, CO wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Fort Collins, CO the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Fort Collins, CO. 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: $1,817 in Fort Collins, CO versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,816 per month in Fort Collins, CO versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA – Fort Collins, CO is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Fort Collins, CO is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Fort Collins, CO delivers better value at $2,816 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fort Collins, CO hard to pass up.

It comes down to priorities – Fort Collins, CO wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.