Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Long Beach, CA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Long Beach, CA: $3,185 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Long Beach, CA
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Long Beach, CA Living Index
184

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

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Long Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,185 in Long Beach, CA versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA.

Long Beach, CA $3,185
Seattle, WA $3,782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,857 in Long Beach, CA versus $5,636 in Seattle, WA.

Long Beach, CA $4,857
Seattle, WA $5,636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,529 in Long Beach, CA versus $7,489 in Seattle, WA.

Long Beach, CA $6,529
Seattle, WA $7,489

Living in Long Beach, CA costs roughly 16% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Long Beach, CA 135% above, Seattle, WA 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.67 $19.67

$24.52 $24.52

-19.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 $78.7

$98.2 $98.2

-19.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.48 $14.48

$14.79 $14.79

-2.10%

Cappuccino

$6.17 $6.17

$6.52 $6.52

-5.37%

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

$3.27 $3.27

$3.23 $3.23

1.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.17 $3.17

-21.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.46 $7.46

$7.85 $7.85

-4.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.70 $9.70

$8.03 $8.03

20.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.21 $1.21

-13.22%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$5.14 $5.14

-19.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$6.05 $6.05

-23.14%

Eggs

$4.63 $4.63

$4.88 $4.88

-5.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 $13.11

$19.18 $19.18

-31.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.28 $14.28

$18.91 $18.91

-24.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.21 $15.21

$23.31 $23.31

-34.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$5.99 $5.99

-20.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.93 $1.93

-13.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$5.25 $5.25

-8.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$6.57 $6.57

-26.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.62 $3.62

-4.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.31 $3.31

-32.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.78 $2.78

-26.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.51 $2.51

-27.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$12.18 $12.18

-5.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 $15.06

$14.83 $14.83

1.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$4.22 $4.22

-54.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$5.77 $5.77

-42.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.95 $2.95

-40.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 $68.9

$106 $106

-35.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.65 $2.65

10.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.72 $1.72

20.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.25 $28.25

$29.72 $29.72

-4.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.49 $1.49

3.36%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$35.9K $35.9K

-20.55%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.2K $26.2K

-1.06%

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

$169 $169

$302 $302

-44.11%

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

$66.3 $66.3

$70.1 $70.1

-5.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 $60.3

$85.3 $85.3

-29.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.49 $39.49

$77.8 $77.8

-49.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$14.84 $14.84

$17.84 $17.84

-16.82%

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

$1,912 $1,912

$2,973 $2,973

-35.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K $36.2K

$31.3K $31.3K

15.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 $58.5

$76.6 $76.6

-23.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.11 $40.11

$54.1 $54.1

-25.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 $93.9

$128 $128

-26.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$164 $164

-13.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 $2,057

$2,445 $2,445

-15.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 $1,813

$1,947 $1,947

-6.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,672 $3,672

$4,744 $4,744

-22.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,462 $3,462

$3,469 $3,469

-0.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,440 $7,440

$7,367 $7,367

1.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,677 $6,677

$5,127 $5,127

30.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,419 $4,419

$6,506 $6,506

-32.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.89

-7.26%

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

Last update for Long Beach, CA: 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

Long Beach, CA

$1.8K 56.9%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 7.4% $134

Groceries & Markets

Long Beach, CA

$414 13%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 31.9% $132

Eating Out

Long Beach, CA

$355 11.1%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 12.7% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Long Beach, CA

$295 9.3%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 54.8% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Long Beach, CA

$151 4.7%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 26.3% $40

Getting Around

Long Beach, CA

$89 2.8%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 44.8% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Long Beach, CA

$69 2.2%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 64.1% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,057 in Long Beach, CA and $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 47% 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: $79.0 in Long Beach, CA vs $98.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $546 per month, with Long Beach, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Long Beach, CA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

14:53 2:53 PM

Same time as Long Beach, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

469,450

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Long Beach, CA Seattle, WA 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Long Beach, 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

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

Long Beach, CA and Seattle, WA differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($3,185 vs $3,782 including rent). Long Beach, CA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 47% 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: $2,057 in Long Beach, CA versus $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Long Beach, CA – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,185 per month in Long Beach, CA versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Long Beach, CA 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 Long Beach, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.