Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frederick, MD and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Frederick, MD: $2,554 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Frederick, MD
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Frederick, MD Living Index
184

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

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Frederick, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,554

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,554 in Frederick, MD versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA.

Frederick, MD $2,554
Seattle, WA $3,782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,056 in Frederick, MD versus $5,636 in Seattle, WA.

Frederick, MD $4,056
Seattle, WA $5,636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,558 in Frederick, MD versus $7,489 in Seattle, WA.

Frederick, MD $5,558
Seattle, WA $7,489

Living in Frederick, MD costs roughly 32% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frederick, MD 88% above, Seattle, WA 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.14 $18.14

$24.52 $24.52

-26.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.9 $90.9

$98.2 $98.2

-7.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 $9.90

$14.79 $14.79

-33.06%

Cappuccino

$4.62 $4.62

$6.52 $6.52

-29.14%

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

$3.13 $3.13

$3.23 $3.23

-3.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$3.17 $3.17

-37.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.99 $5.99

$7.85 $7.85

-23.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 $7.32

$8.03 $8.03

-8.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.21 $1.21

-18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$4.32 $4.32

$5.14 $5.14

-15.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$6.05 $6.05

-23.64%

Eggs

$3.81 $3.81

$4.88 $4.88

-21.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 $12.96

$19.18 $19.18

-32.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.26 $11.26

$18.91 $18.91

-40.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.56 $14.56

$23.31 $23.31

-37.54%

Apples (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.99 $5.99

-8.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.93 $1.93

-19.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$5.25 $5.25

-15.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$6.57 $6.57

-10.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.62 $3.62

-12.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.31 $3.31

15.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.78 $2.78

21.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.51 $2.51

-6.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.80 $9.80

$12.18 $12.18

-19.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.75 $16.75

$14.83 $14.83

12.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$4.22 $4.22

-59.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$5.77 $5.77

-48.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.65 $2.65

51.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.72 $1.72

-29.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$29.72 $29.72

-16.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.49 $1.49

-36.24%

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

$29.0K $29.0K

$35.9K $35.9K

-19.09%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.2K $26.2K

-1.42%

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

$107 $107

$302 $302

-64.57%

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

$47.62 $47.62

$70.1 $70.1

-32.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.7 $61.7

$85.3 $85.3

-27.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.51 $41.51

$77.8 $77.8

-46.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$14.57 $14.57

$17.84 $17.84

-18.33%

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

$1,615 $1,615

$2,973 $2,973

-45.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K $36.2K

$31.3K $31.3K

15.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.51 $37.51

$76.6 $76.6

-51.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.77 $36.77

$54.1 $54.1

-31.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 $96.4

$128 $128

-24.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.5 $97.5

$164 $164

-40.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,784 $1,784

$2,445 $2,445

-27.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 $1,425

$1,947 $1,947

-26.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,207 $3,207

$4,744 $4,744

-32.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,867 $2,867

$3,469 $3,469

-17.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,477 $2,477

$7,367 $7,367

-66.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,146 $2,146

$5,127 $5,127

-58.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,015 $5,015

$6,506 $6,506

-22.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

6.89

-11.47%

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

Last update for Frederick, MD: October 18, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Frederick, MD

$1.4K 55.8%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 36.6% $522

Groceries & Markets

Frederick, MD

$417 16.3%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 30.9% $129

Eating Out

Frederick, MD

$295 11.6%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 35.4% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Frederick, MD

$216 8.5%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 112% $241

Clothing & Footwear

Frederick, MD

$121 4.7%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 57.7% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Frederick, MD

$71 2.8%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 60.7% $43

Getting Around

Frederick, MD

$10 * 0.4%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 1185% $119

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 $1,784 in Frederick, MD and $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 30% 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: $91.0 in Frederick, MD vs $98.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $417 vs $546 per month, with Frederick, MD cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Frederick, MD

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

17:13 5:13 PM

14:13 2:13 PM

3 h behind Frederick, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,237

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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Highest

Between locations

Frederick, MD Seattle, WA 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Frederick, MD
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

Frederick, MD vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Frederick, MD and Seattle, WA differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($2,554 vs $3,782 including rent). Frederick, MD is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 30% 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: $1,784 in Frederick, MD versus $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,554 per month in Frederick, MD versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Frederick, MD 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.

Expats usually find Frederick, MD gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.