Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Garden Grove, CA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Garden Grove, CA: $1,412 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $28,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Garden Grove, CA
Learn more

Garden Grove, CA Living Index
185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Garden Grove, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,412

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,412 per month in Garden Grove, CA vs $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Garden Grove, CA $1,412
Seattle, WA $3,800

A couple spends around $2,264 per month in Garden Grove, CA vs $5,702 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Garden Grove, CA $2,264
Seattle, WA $5,702

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Garden Grove, CA vs $7,603 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Garden Grove, CA $3,115
Seattle, WA $7,603

Garden Grove, CA is about 63% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Garden Grove, CA and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Garden Grove, CA by 5%, Seattle, WA by 182%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.44 $25.44

$25.32 $25.32

0.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 $77.4

$101 $101

-23.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 $11.44

$14.85 $14.85

-22.96%

Cappuccino

$5.61 $5.61

$6.59 $6.59

-14.87%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$3.22 $3.22

-15.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.14 $3.14

-37.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.42 $7.42

$8.18 $8.18

-9.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.42 $9.42

$8.03 $8.03

17.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.21 $1.21

-4.13%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.12 $5.12

3.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$6.30 $6.30

-30.63%

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$4.90 $4.90

2.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 $12.53

$19.10 $19.10

-34.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.63 $8.63

$18.50 $18.50

-53.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.19 $14.19

$23.03 $23.03

-38.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$5.81 $5.81

-19.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.95 $1.95

-12.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$5.29 $5.29

-24.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$6.48 $6.48

-10.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.57 $3.57

2.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.15 $3.15

-4.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.85 $2.85

-24.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.42 $2.42

-7.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.48 $11.48

$12.75 $12.75

-9.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$14.99 $14.99

-0.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$4.17 $4.17

-58.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$5.99 $5.99

-48.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.02 $5.02

$3.04 $3.04

65.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.6 $68.6

$110 $110

-37.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 $4.47

$2.55 $2.55

75.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.64 $1.64

15.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.49 $36.49

$29.58 $29.58

23.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.42 $1.42

7.75%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$35.7K $35.7K

1.95%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$25.6K $25.6K

1.72%

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

$216 $216

$299 $299

-27.87%

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

$70.3 $70.3

$70.8 $70.8

-0.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$88.3 $88.3

-22.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.85 $14.85

$79.5 $79.5

-81.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.03 $20.03

$35.37 $35.37

-43.37%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 $15.09

$17.12 $17.12

-11.86%

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

$1,189 $1,189

$3,013 $3,013

-60.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.3K $42.3K

$31.6K $31.6K

33.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 $61.7

$77.2 $77.2

-20.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.80 $40.80

$55.1 $55.1

-25.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 $81.5

$126 $126

-35.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$163 $163

-37.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,206 $2,206

$2,464 $2,464

-10.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,518 $3,518

$4,711 $4,711

-25.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,702 $4,702

$6,286 $6,286

-25.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

6.85

-7.88%

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

Last update for Garden Grove, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Garden Grove, CA

$401 28.4%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 35.1% $141

Eating Out

Garden Grove, CA

$380 26.9%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 7.6% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Garden Grove, CA

$355 25.1%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 29.1% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Garden Grove, CA

$129 9.1%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 47.2% $61

Getting Around

Garden Grove, CA

$103 7.3%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 29.6% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Garden Grove, CA

$45 3.2%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 153% $69

Accommodation & Living

Garden Grove, CA

- * 0%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,206 in Garden Grove, 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 34% higher in Seattle, WA, 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 $77.0 in Garden Grove, CA versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $542 – making Garden Grove, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Garden Grove, CA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

08:52 8:52 AM

Same time as Garden Grove, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

170,883

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

Garden Grove, CA Seattle, WA 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Garden Grove, 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

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

Seattle, WA costs about 169% more than Garden Grove, CA, 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 $2,118 per month in Garden Grove, 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 Garden Grove, CA, 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 $1,412 in Garden Grove, CA and $3,800 in Seattle, WA. That's a gap of about 169%.

Public transport costs about 60% less in Garden Grove, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,412 in Garden Grove, 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. Garden Grove, CA costs $1,412 versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA. 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 Garden Grove, CA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.