Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Glendale, CA and in Seattle, WA: $3,628 and $3,800 a month, rent and utilities included.

177

Cost of Living Index in Glendale, CA
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Glendale, CA Living Index
185

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

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Glendale, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,628

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,628 in Glendale, CA versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA.

Glendale, CA $3,628
Seattle, WA $3,800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,588 in Glendale, CA versus $5,702 in Seattle, WA.

Glendale, CA $4,588
Seattle, WA $5,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,548 in Glendale, CA versus $7,603 in Seattle, WA.

Glendale, CA $5,548
Seattle, WA $7,603

Living in Glendale, CA costs roughly 5% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Glendale, CA 169% above, Seattle, WA 182% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.16 $25.16

$25.32 $25.32

-0.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.6 $76.6

$101 $101

-24.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.22 $15.22

$14.85 $14.85

2.49%

Cappuccino

$5.88 $5.88

$6.59 $6.59

-10.77%

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

$3.13 $3.13

$3.22 $3.22

-2.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.14 $3.14

-21.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 $7.09

$8.18 $8.18

-13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 $9.86

$8.03 $8.03

22.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.21 $1.21

16.53%

White Bread (500g)

$4.79 $4.79

$5.12 $5.12

-6.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$6.30 $6.30

-25.71%

Eggs

$5.79 $5.79

$4.90 $4.90

18.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$19.10 $19.10

-40.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 $8.58

$18.50 $18.50

-53.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.38 $19.38

$23.03 $23.03

-15.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$5.81 $5.81

-18.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.95 $1.95

18.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.29 $5.29

-23.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$6.48 $6.48

-16.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.57 $3.57

-5.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.15 $3.15

-10.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.85 $2.85

-32.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.42 $2.42

0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.91 $11.91

$12.75 $12.75

-6.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 $14.91

$14.99 $14.99

-0.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$4.17 $4.17

-39.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$5.99 $5.99

-53.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.04 $3.04

-33.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.5 $91.5

$110 $110

-16.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.55 $2.55

18.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.64 $1.64

9.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.99 $31.99

$29.58 $29.58

8.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.42 $1.42

9.86%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$35.7K $35.7K

1.78%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$25.6K $25.6K

-0.59%

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

$221 $221

$299 $299

-26.06%

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

$78.0 $78.0

$70.8 $70.8

10.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.1 $74.1

$88.3 $88.3

-16.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.95 $39.95

$79.5 $79.5

-49.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$20.13 $20.13

$17.12 $17.12

17.58%

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

$1,174 $1,174

$3,013 $3,013

-61.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.0K $32.0K

$31.6K $31.6K

1.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 $61.6

$77.2 $77.2

-20.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.74 $48.74

$55.1 $55.1

-11.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$126 $126

-3.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 $199

$163 $163

22.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 $1,579

$2,464 $2,464

-35.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,053 $2,053

$1,956 $1,956

4.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,521 $2,521

$4,711 $4,711

-46.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 $2,129

$3,550 $3,550

-40.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,395 $2,395

$7,346 $7,346

-67.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,760 $2,760

$5,048 $5,048

-45.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,110 $5,110

$6,286 $6,286

-18.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

6.85

-4.67%

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

Last update for Glendale, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glendale, CA

$2.1K 56.6%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 4.7% $97

Groceries & Markets

Glendale, CA

$421 11.6%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 28.7% $121

Eating Out

Glendale, CA

$395 10.9%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 3.4% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glendale, CA

$373 10.3%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 22.8% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Glendale, CA

$194 5.3%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 2.4% $4.6

Getting Around

Glendale, CA

$112 3.1%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 19.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Glendale, CA

$80 2.2%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 41.8% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Glendale, CA and $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 23% 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: $77.0 in Glendale, CA vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $421 vs $542 per month, with Glendale, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Glendale, CA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

09:40 9:40 AM

Same time as Glendale, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,831

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Glendale, CA Seattle, WA 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Glendale, 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

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

Glendale, CA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 23% 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: $1,579 in Glendale, CA versus $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Glendale, CA runs roughly 20% less than in Seattle, WA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,174 in Glendale, CA versus $3,013 in Seattle, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

For families, Glendale, CA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Glendale, CA and Seattle, WA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Glendale, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.