Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Key West, FL and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,800 a month against $4,808 in Key West, FL, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Key West, FL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

233

Cost of Living Index in Key West, FL
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Key West, FL Living Index
185

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

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Key West, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$4,808

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,808 per month in Key West, FL vs $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Key West, FL $4,808
Seattle, WA $3,800

A couple spends around $7,043 per month in Key West, FL vs $5,702 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Key West, FL $7,043
Seattle, WA $5,702

A family of three spends $9,278 per month in Key West, FL vs $7,603 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Key West, FL $9,278
Seattle, WA $7,603

Key West, FL costs about 27% more than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Key West, FL and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Key West, FL by 256%, Seattle, WA by 182%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.31 $22.31

$25.32 $25.32

-11.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.3 $98.3

$101 $101

-3.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 $11.87

$14.85 $14.85

-20.07%

Cappuccino

$4.56 $4.56

$6.59 $6.59

-30.80%

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

$2.26 $2.26

$3.22 $3.22

-29.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$3.14 $3.14

-39.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$8.18 $8.18

-28.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 $6.84

$8.03 $8.03

-14.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.21 $1.21

-18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$5.12 $5.12

-28.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$6.30 $6.30

6.98%

Eggs

$5.16 $5.16

$4.90 $4.90

5.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.61 $11.61

$19.10 $19.10

-39.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.34 $13.34

$18.50 $18.50

-27.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.97 $23.97

$23.03 $23.03

4.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$5.81 $5.81

-17.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.95 $1.95

-4.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$5.29 $5.29

-30.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$6.48 $6.48

-20.22%

Potato (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.57 $3.57

66.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.15 $3.15

5.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.85 $2.85

26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.42 $2.42

9.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.18 $8.18

$12.75 $12.75

-35.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.18 $14.18

$14.99 $14.99

-5.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$4.17 $4.17

-52.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$5.99 $5.99

-60.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 $3.98

$3.04 $3.04

30.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.55 $2.55

52.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 $3.12

$1.64 $1.64

90.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.20 $30.20

$29.58 $29.58

2.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.42 $1.42

-35.92%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$35.7K $35.7K

2.06%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.6K $25.6K

1.11%

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

$215 $215

$299 $299

-28.05%

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

$54.4 $54.4

$70.8 $70.8

-23.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 $73.3

$88.3 $88.3

-16.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.6 $79.6

$79.5 $79.5

0.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$14.05 $14.05

$17.12 $17.12

-17.93%

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

$1,090 $1,090

$3,013 $3,013

-63.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K $20.7K

$31.6K $31.6K

-34.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.58 $47.58

$77.2 $77.2

-38.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.78 $41.78

$55.1 $55.1

-24.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 $71.7

$126 $126

-42.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.1 $69.1

$163 $163

-57.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,436 $3,436

$2,464 $2,464

39.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,432 $3,432

$1,956 $1,956

75.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,122 $7,122

$4,711 $4,711

51.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,144 $6,144

$3,550 $3,550

73.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,644 $9,644

$7,346 $7,346

31.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,886 $9,886

$5,048 $5,048

95.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,967 $5,967

$6,286 $6,286

-5.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.38

6.85

-6.86%

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

Last update for Key West, FL: 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

Key West, FL

$3.4K 71.4%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 43% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Key West, FL

$457 9.5%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 18.4% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Key West, FL

$343 7.1%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 33.6% $115

Eating Out

Key West, FL

$328 6.8%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 24.4% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Key West, FL

$108 2.2%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 5.6% $6.1

Clothing & Footwear

Key West, FL

$104 2.2%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 82.7% $86

Getting Around

Key West, FL

$35 * 0.7%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 275% $98

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,436 in Key West, FL 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 5% higher in Seattle, WA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Key West, FL versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $457 vs $542 – making Key West, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Key West, FL

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

23:25 11:25 PM

20:25 8:25 PM

3 h behind Key West, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,684

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Key West, FL Seattle, WA 4,380 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Key West, FL
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

Key West, FL vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Key West, FL costs about 27% more than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,211 per month in Key West, FL 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 Seattle, WA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Key West, FL and $101 in Seattle, WA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Key West, FL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,808 in Key West, FL and $3,800 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Seattle, WA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Seattle, WA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Key West, FL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.