Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Katy, TX and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Katy, TX: $2,451 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Katy, TX, United States
Seattle, WA, United States
Katy, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,451
/mo nomad
Seattle, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,762
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,451 per month in Katy, TX vs $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

  • Katy, TX $2,451
  • Seattle, WA $3,762

A couple spends around $3,581 per month in Katy, TX vs $5,651 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

  • Katy, TX $3,581
  • Seattle, WA $5,651

A family of three spends $4,711 per month in Katy, TX vs $7,541 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

  • Katy, TX $4,711
  • Seattle, WA $7,541

Katy, TX is about 35% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Katy, TX and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Katy, TX by 81%, Seattle, WA by 178%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Katy, TX
Seattle, WA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.88 $16.88
$23.80 $23.80
-29.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.6 $60.6
$98.6 $98.6
-38.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.85 $8.85
$14.94 $14.94
-40.76%
Cappuccino
$3.49 $3.49
$6.79 $6.79
-48.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 $1.98
$3.23 $3.23
-38.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 $2.13
$3.15 $3.15
-32.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.07 $4.07
$8.21 $8.21
-50.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.53 $5.53
$7.87 $7.87
-29.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Katy, TX
Seattle, WA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.17 $1.17
-18.80%
White Bread (500g)
$3.53 $3.53
$5.29 $5.29
-33.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.06 $3.06
$5.76 $5.76
-46.87%
Eggs
$3.05 $3.05
$4.89 $4.89
-37.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.08 $13.08
$20.25 $20.25
-35.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.66 $9.66
$17.95 $17.95
-46.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.72 $16.72
$23.35 $23.35
-28.39%
Apples (1kg)
$3.83 $3.83
$5.94 $5.94
-35.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.24 $1.24
$1.89 $1.89
-34.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.12 $3.12
$5.35 $5.35
-41.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.25 $3.25
$6.57 $6.57
-50.53%
Potato (1kg)
$2.10 $2.10
$3.39 $3.39
-38.05%
Onion (1kg)
$2.49 $2.49
$2.88 $2.88
-13.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$2.89 $2.89
-38.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 $1.22
$2.43 $2.43
-49.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.68 $9.68
$12.18 $12.18
-20.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.75 $12.75
$15.24 $15.24
-16.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 $1.70
$4.38 $4.38
-61.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 $1.58
$5.89 $5.89
-73.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Katy, TX
Seattle, WA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.02 $2.02
$2.96 $2.96
-31.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$107 $107
$109 $109
-2.25%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.68 $2.68
$2.52 $2.52
6.35%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 $1.58
$1.72 $1.72
-8.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.07 $35.07
$29.70 $29.70
18.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.85 $0.85
$1.51 $1.51
-43.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.3K $32.3K
$36.2K $36.2K
-10.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K $24.5K
$25.7K $25.7K
-4.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Katy, TX
Seattle, WA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$246 $246
$289 $289
-14.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.9 $58.9
$69.1 $69.1
-14.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.7 $70.7
$84.8 $84.8
-16.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Katy, TX
Seattle, WA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.59 $25.59
$69.4 $69.4
-63.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.19 $25.19
$35.05 $35.05
-28.13%
Cinema Ticket
$11.91 $11.91
$17.97 $17.97
-33.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Katy, TX
Seattle, WA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,009 $1,009
$2,819 $2,819
-64.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.8K $17.8K
$43.9K $43.9K
-59.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Katy, TX
Seattle, WA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$91.2 $91.2
-42.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.00 $43.00
$55.1 $55.1
-21.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.9 $86.9
$127 $127
-31.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 $109
$162 $162
-32.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Katy, TX
Seattle, WA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,544 $1,544
$2,579 $2,579
-40.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,186 $1,186
$1,943 $1,943
-38.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,750 $2,750
$5,100 $5,100
-46.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,026 $2,026
$3,541 $3,541
-42.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,098 $2,098
$7,357 $7,357
-71.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,542 $1,542
$4,921 $4,921
-68.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Katy, TX
Seattle, WA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,102 $4,102
$6,448 $6,448
-36.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.41
6.8
-5.74%

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

Last update for Katy, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Katy, TX
$1.2K
Seattle, WA
$1.9K 63.8% $757
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Katy, TX
$375
Seattle, WA
$443 18% $67
Groceries & Markets
Katy, TX
$332
Seattle, WA
$544 63.6% $211
Eating Out
Katy, TX
$251
Seattle, WA
$399 58.8% $148
Clothing & Footwear
Katy, TX
$131
Seattle, WA
$196 49.2% $65
Getting Around
Katy, TX
$125
Seattle, WA
$132 5.4% $6.8
Sport & Entertainment
Katy, TX
$49
Seattle, WA
$105 113% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,544 in Katy, TX versus $2,579 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 57% higher in Seattle, WA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Katy, TX versus $99 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $544 – making Katy, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Katy, TX
🇺🇸 Seattle, WA
🕒 Local time
20:44 8:44 PM
18:44 6:44 PM
2 h behind Katy, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
14,102
737,015
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Katy, TX Seattle, WA 3,010 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Katy, TX
  • 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
Katy, TX vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Katy, TX or Seattle, WA?
Seattle, WA costs about 53% more than Katy, TX, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Katy, TX and in Seattle, WA?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,677 per month in Katy, TX and $5,642 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Katy, TX or Seattle, WA?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Katy, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,544 there versus $2,579 in Seattle, WA.
How do dining costs compare in Katy, TX and in Seattle, WA?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Katy, TX and $99 in Seattle, WA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Katy, TX or in Seattle, WA?
Groceries cost about 64% more in Seattle, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Katy, TX or in Seattle, WA?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,451 in Katy, TX and $3,762 in Seattle, WA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Katy, TX – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Katy, TX or to Seattle, WA?
If budget matters most, go with Katy, TX. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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